On Shaky Ground
by Sydelle Rein
Summary: Sequel to Arthur's Silent Guardian! With the unknown identity of his sorcerer-protector plaguing him, Arthur is unsure how to deal with this new knowledge. Meanwhile, a series of mysterious earthquakes is threatening the safety of Camelot. No Slash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This first chapter's mainly a link between the prequel fic and this. Next chapter will get more into the new plot.**

**By the way, I had some people ask me during ****Arthur's Silent Guardian**** when these fics are set. They are set after the second season, though ASG really doesn't have anything that specified any particular time frame. This fic will be more clear in that regard.**

Chapter One

Two months had passed since that night. At first, Arthur had carefully monitored all those around him, trying to determine just who Emrys was. He had hoped, now that he knew Emrys existed, the sorcerer-in-hiding might look at him just a little differently than before, and thereby give his identity away.

Was it Gaius? The physician may be a bit distracted sometimes, but Arthur knew from experience how wise the man was, and he was certainly loyal to Camelot. But Gaius was an old man. Even if he was a sorcerer, could the man have moved so quickly? Could he have survived such an attack?

Was it one of his knights? They had sworn an oath to protect both him and Camelot with their lives, of course, so that would make sense, and they were certainly fast enough without magical aid, with it who knows what they would be capable of? But the knights were in constant eye of the king. Would any sorcerer truly be foolish enough to stay so close to certain death?

For all he knew, Emrys could even be a woman! Arthur had no idea of the capabilities or limitations of magic. Who's to say there wasn't some spell out there that would allow Emrys to alter his—or her—voice?

But Arthur could perceive no oddities in anyone's behavior, nor could he match the voice of those haunting two words to any voice he heard.

It was maddening.

Arthur would never truly give up. He would never be able to stop himself from subtly searching for Emrys, but his silent interrogation whenever he spoke with anyone became more of a nagging thought in the back of his head than a conscious prodding. He knew Emrys was here in the castle, somewhere, but Arthur was forced to accept the fact that he had no way to find the man. At least, he tried to convince himself that he had accepted that fact. A small part of him was relieved that the mystery remained unsolved—a very small part. If he didn't know who the sorcerer truly was, then he wouldn't really be committing treason by turning a blind eye. The rest of him burned to know the truth.

He had confessed to Merlin the whole truth of that night. Whether he admitted it out loud or not, Arthur knew that Merlin was a friend, not just a servant, and that he could trust the boy to keep quiet, even about sorcery.

"_How did you manage to escape?" was the first thing his servant had asked that morning, as Arthur stared at his breakfast, really not all that hungry._

_Arthur had very nearly repeated the lie he had told to his father, but looking at Merlin's face, Arthur had changed his mind. "A sorcerer saved me," he said instead. Merlin's eyes widened in shock, though he looked slightly amused. Arthur laughed slightly at the look. "Strange, I know."_

"_Why would a sorcerer save you?" Merlin asked slowly._

"_He said…that it was my destiny to take the throne, and his to make sure I lived to do it. Even..." Arthur trailed off, not entirely sure how to voice the last part._

"_Even what?"_

"_Even if he had to die in my service."_

_Merlin nodded slowly. "That's some dedication," he confessed._

_Even knowing Merlin's trustworthiness, Arthur still hesitated to tell his friend this last part. "He lives in the castle," he said at last._

_Merlin seemed to take this news surprisingly well. His eyes widened again, and a slight strike of fear crossed over them, but he took it in stride, not even questioning if that were possible._

"_Does your father know?"_

"_You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Arthur said with a roll of his eyes. "If my father knew, do you think I'd be sitting here eating my breakfast while a sorcerer roams the castle halls?"_

"_Probably not."_

"_Now you're using your brain."_

_Merlin shifted his feet slightly, seeming agitated about something. Arthur resisted the urge to roll his eyes yet again. If Merlin got so worked up over such a silly little insult, he was losing his resilience. "How did you tell your father you escaped then?" he asked suddenly._

"_I told him I escaped on my own of course."  
_

"_And he believed you?" Merlin asked incredulously._

_Arthur glared at him. "Why Merlin, I'm flattered at your confidence in me."_

_Merlin ducked his head, failing to hide a grin. "Well you were the damsel in distress, after all," he muttered. Arthur stood up, grabbed a pillow, and proceeded to pound his friend with it. When he finally stopped the two were both laughing._

Arthur smiled at the memory. Why was it that Merlin could always lighten his mood? Still, Arthur was glad he had someone to confide in, even if it was an incompetent, insubordinate manservant.

In a way, Arthur was more grateful for his servant's company now than he had been before. He knew without a doubt that Merlin was _not_ Emrys—that would just make no sense at all—and it was nice to have the luxury of such certainty with at least one person.

-

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" Merlin asked as he hung up another outfit in Arthur's wardrobe.

Arthur came back from what appeared to be a sort of trance. "What?"

Merlin grinned. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were pining over your lost lover."

Arthur glared at him. "I am not!"

"Well who could blame you? He did save your backside. I guess you could call him your sorcerer-in-not-so-shiny-armor."

Arthur whacked him across the head. "One more word, _Merlin,_ and I'll have you put in the stocks!"

Merlin continued to grin, but didn't say another word.

"I just wish I knew who he was," Arthur said after a moment's silence, staring out the window again.

Merlin ducked his eyes back to his work, fighting the sadness that overwhelmed him. _I wish you knew, too._

"Why do you care so much?" Merlin asked when the silence became too much for him. "He's just a sorcerer after all."

"_Just_ a sorcerer? Merlin, do I need to remind you how powerful sorcerers are? It's only reasonable to want to keep tabs on him."

"Is that it then?" Merlin felt his stomach drop at those words. "You really just don't trust him?"

Arthur opened his mouth to make another retort, but it died in his throat. "No," he admitted, "I do. It's just…an excuse I guess. How strange is it that this man has saved my life who knows how many times and I don't even know his name?"

Merlin shrugged. "Apparently that's how he wants it."

"But _why?_" Arthur practically wined. "He's not even asking for recognition for what he's done! Shouldn't he _want_ someone to know who he is? To know it's him who's doing all these…heroic deeds?"

Merlin suppressed a sigh. Arthur really didn't understand. "Do your knights protect Camelot for fame and glory? Or because it's what needs to be done and they have the power to do it?" Arthur didn't answer, he just looked at his manservant, silently inviting him to continue. "Why do you expect any differently of a sorcerer?" Merlin asked quietly.

For a moment, Arthur stared at Merlin as though he had two heads. Once more he opened his mouth for a retort, but he slammed his jaw shut after realizing he didn't have an answer. Merlin gave him a sad smile, realizing what the silence meant. He then gathered up Arthur's sword. "Time to get this sharpened," he said as he opened the door to leave. "I'll be back with it after a little while."

-

Arthur stared after his manservant as he left, thinking hard about those last words.

Why _did_ he expect so differently of a sorcerer? He'd accepted the fact that Emrys was an ally—no matter what means of a weapon he used—and he'd even accepted the fact that not all sorcery can really be evil. If sorcery could be used for such good, how could it be? Why then was he still having such a hard time letting go of this idea that sorcerers were somehow…less honorable than any other person? If his knights could conduct themselves with such honor, why could a sorcerer not do the same?

It was a problem part of his mind had already solved, and part of his mind stubbornly clung to. It was hard to erase an entire lifetime's worth of brainwashing, no matter how much evidence contradicted it.

And since when was _Merlin_ so perceptive? What happened to "he's just a sorcerer"?

Arthur felt a headache coming on.

**A/N: Hope you enjoy the sequel so far! Please review to let me know what you think. And just a heads up, updates are not going to be as quick as ASG was. I'm in the thick of the semester now so a lot of stuff is going on. So please be patient with me! I'll update as often as I can.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Put more force into your swing, Leret!" Arthur ordered, watching the newest potential knights-to-be go through the drills. Several of them showed much promise. He hadn't decided if Leret was one of them yet. The man was too timid in his strikes. Though perhaps with time that would be eradicated.

"Ceron, your stance is too narrow! I could knock you down with one finger! Stand firm!" Arthur sparred a glance towards the man who had shouted the order—his trusted knight Burik. Burik was mainly in charge of training these eager recruits. Arthur was only really here to see which ones had any potential.

Was it Burik? his unconscious mind whispered to him.

Arthur had already asked that question, so he ignored it and turned his attention to the line of trainees once more.

"What do you think?" Burik's familiar voice asked unexpectedly. Arthur nearly jumped—he hadn't noticed the knight had been moving towards him.

Maybe it _was_ Burik.

Don't be stupid, Arthur, he told himself. He doesn't need magic to walk across a field.

"That one there has talent," Arthur responded, indicating a man a third of the way down the line. "I haven't caught his name yet."

"His name is Garris. He's from the village Oreet'i."

"A villager?" Arthur asked in surprise. "But he's a noble. He must be."

Burik nodded. "The third son of the Seifild family." Arthur bowed his head in understanding. That fief had been slaughtered several years ago by Cederic, before the treaty had been formed. Few had survived, and most of those few preferred a much simpler lifestyle after what had happened. "He must have been young when he fled. And he can't have trained in the village. How did he get to be so skilled in a village?"

"He didn't," Burik responded. "He'd hardly touched a sword until he came here to Camelot."

Arthur looked back at the man with a new respect. "That's some natural talent then." He indicated another man, a few spaces away from Garris. "What about Achet there? His defense is weak, but he's got a very firm attack stance. And he's fast. What's his story?"

"Second son of the Benay family. From what I gather, he wants to prove he can live up to his brother's level of expertise." Arthur nodded. That was the more typical background he was used to. "Oy! Leret! Don't hesitate, strike hard and fast!"

As Burik moved to address the issue more closely, Arthur couldn't stop his eyes following the knight. Burik was known for being rather sure of himself. And Emrys had certainly been calm and in control.

Arthur suppressed a sigh and looked away. Burik was too tall to be Emrys.

-

That evening Arthur dined with his father to inform him of his observations. "How are the new recruits fairing in training?" Uther asked.

"There are several promising individuals," Arthur reported. "And many more not so promising."

Uther nodded. "That's to be expected. But Burik is a good trainer. Perhaps he can make them into something yet."

Arthur nodded respectfully. "I've no doubt that if anyone can do it, it will be Burik. How are things fairing with Cedric? I understand he has been particularly paranoid in regards to Camelot recently."

Uther heaved a sigh. "No doubt matters will eventually grow worse, but for right now things seem to be holding steady."

"Do you have any plans to resolve matters peacefully?"

"I wish things could be so simple, my son, but unfortunately things seem to be going in a very different direction. He has yet to breach our borders with his violence, but he has been so severe on travelers suspected of leaving Camelot that it is difficult to say what the future holds."

Arthur nodded solemnly. He and Merlin had experienced that brutality but half a year ago, when they had traveled to find Balinore.

"Do you think—" both father and son froze in an instant. It was subtle, but the vibrations were definitely there. The room was shaking. Arthur jumped to his feet, reaching for the sword he did not wear. A moment later the vibrations stopped.

"What was that?" the prince asked, looking around the room for any sign of danger.

Uther didn't look quite so concerned. "A simple earthquake, most likely, and a mild one at that." Nonetheless, he called for the guards. "Did you feel that?" Uther asked as they entered.

"Indeed, Sire. What shall we do?"

"We have no reason to suspect anything unnatural about it, but have your men do a sweep of the castle looking for anything out of the ordinary. I will not take any chances."

"Yes, my liege."

"An earthquake?" Arthur repeated once the guards had left. He'd never been in an earthquake before. "In Camelot?"

"It is not unheard of, though they do not come frequently. The last one I remember was nearly thirty years ago, and it did hardly any damage at all." Arthur nodded slowly.

-

Merlin stopped dead in his work, feeling as though he had drunk one of Gaius' potions that made him slightly dizzy. But this was not him, this was the _ground_. A moment later the vibrations stopped. Merlin looked up at the man who stood in front of him at the pump. "Did you feel that?" he asked.

The man, looking quite unnerved, nodded. "I've never been in an earthquake before. Do you s'pose more will follow?"

An earthquake? Merlin frowned, trying to remember what his mother had said about earthquakes. "I don't know," he answered, not remembering anything in particular. The man left hurriedly to return home, and Merlin stood up for his turn to pump water before hurrying inside once more.

He felt no further tremors as he returned to Arthur's chambers, so Merlin put the strange occurrence out of his mind. He dumped the last bucket of water into the tub. He didn't bother to heat it—he never did. It would be far easier to simply heat it with a flash of his eyes when Arthur walked through the door. That way the prince could never complain that Merlin had started too soon and that it was too cooled off. There was, of course, that one time when he had heated the bath a little _too _well, but since then he simply decided to pay a bit more attention—even with simple little heating spells.

He heard the door open.

"_Aestus,"_ he muttered under his breath, focusing on the water. He released it when a slight steam rose up.

"Merlin?" the expected voice rang out. "I hope you've got my bath ready. I am utterly exhausted.

Merlin quickly felt the water to make sure it wasn't too hot, then returned to the main room. "I thought you were just going to watch the recruits train for a bit."

"Followed by dinner with my father."

Ah. Arthur often left those dinners fatigued. "Yes, it's ready."

Arthur stepped into the next room. "All right, that'll be all for today, Merlin."

Merlin stared after his master. Usually Arthur had a ridiculous list of new chores for him to accomplish between the time he returned and the next morning. "Arthur, are you feeling all right?" Merlin asked sarcastically.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Do you _want_ to wash my dirty socks?" he asked.

Merlin grimaced. "No one wants that."

"Then I'd suggest you do as your told and head back to your chambers."

With a shrug, Merlin left.

-

At last Arthur sank into the hot water with a sigh of contentment, the warmth easing his stiff muscles from the day's work. In truth, he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a while, hence the reason he'd sent Merlin away.

Why could he not put this Emrys thing behind him? Nothing had really changed that night. Apparently he'd always had a magical protector and just never known it. The only difference now was that he _knew_ about it. That wasn't really that significant, was it? And yet it was.

He'd already decided a week ago that Burik could not be Emrys, based on the same thought that he had re-concluded today—Burik was too tall.

He'd also decided that Kinan was too dark-skinned for Emrys' light-colored hands to be his, Iren was simply too _big_ in more ways than one, and Daros was far too insecure to have acted so confidently.

The problem was that he didn't really know if any of those things mattered. As Arthur had realized countless times between that night and this, he had no idea what magic was capable of—what it could disguise. All his assumptions were based on the fact that Emrys had been cloaked. If he could simply have disguised himself with spells, why would he have kept his face hidden? Surely that meant that what little Arthur could see of the man was in fact _him._

But then again, maybe that was exactly what Emrys had _wanted_ him to think.

And it scared him slightly that Emrys' hidden identity bothered him more than an earthquake.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Unfortunately, those dirty socks that had been neglected the night before had by no means gone away, which meant that the torment had simply arrived the following day instead. Merlin sighed as he hefted a basket of now-clean socks towards Arthur's room.

Quite unexpectedly, Guinivere quickly rounded a corner and nearly ran into Merlin.

"Oh dear! I'm sorry, Merlin. I don't know where my head is today."

Merlin grinned as he shifted the weight of the basket—which he had almost dropped. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Who me?" she asked. "Nowhere, I just finished up my last chore for the day, actually. So would you like any help? I could help you carry that."

Merlin raised his eyebrows at her suspiciously. "Your last chore." When Gwen looked away for a moment in that guilty way of hers Merlin knew he was right to be suspicious. "It's not even midday."

Gwen looked like she'd been backed into a corner.

"Do you need something?" Merlin asked. He wasn't alarmed. It couldn't be too serious or she wouldn't be looking so embarrassed right now. It was quite amusing, though. "I'd be more than happy to help, whatever it is."

She played with her fingers nervously. "Is Arthur all right?" she asked suddenly.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked in surprise. "He's fine, why?"

"It's nothing, really. It's just…he's been acting differently lately. Just, with the way he looks at people. And when he's not watching anyone he's starring into space like he's thinking about something."

Merlin returned the grin to his face and hoped she didn't notice how forced it was. "I'm sure he's fine. He is the prince of Camelot, after all. He tends to have things on his mind now and again." If other people were starting to notice, that wasn't good. He'd have to talk to Arthur, snap him out of this "must-find-Emrys" daze. But what could he say? Why would Merlin the not-Emrys want Arthur to stop looking for a sorcerer?

Maybe he was thinking too much. It was normal for a servant to scold his master when he was acting stupid. Well…normal for Merlin anyways.

"I suppose," Gwen answered. "You would know, wouldn't you?" She asked him, still not entirely convinced. "If something was bothering him?"

"Know?" he asked jokingly. "If I don't _cause_ him strife then I'm not fulfilling my duties!" That got a smile out of her again. Then she scampered off, seeming embarrassed to have shown so much interest. Merlin didn't understand why. It wasn't like he didn't already know what was going on between those two.

Maybe it was Arrden. He was about the right build and height. And he acted very confidently.

A bit too confidently, Arthur argued against himself. It was really more like arrogance, Arthur thought. Emrys hadn't been cocky, just genuinely sure of his abilities. It wouldn't be Arrden.

This was getting ridiculous.

All this went through Arthur's head as he walked back towards his rooms. It was a bit after midday and he'd just finished a training session with his more advanced knights. Arrden was one of them.

Would he ever know the truth? If he didn't, would he ever be ok with not knowing?

When he opened the door to his chambers, Merlin was already there.

"Good afternoon, Sire," Merlin greeted cheerfully.

"Why are you in such an annoyingly good mood?" Arthur asked. He, Arthur, was not in a particularly good mood so he did not feel particularly keen to suffer through Merlin's cheerfulness. He immediately collapsed into the chair in front of his dinner and began to eat. He was hungry.

"I just ran into Gwen, actually," Merlin said casually.

Arthur narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Merlin was not one for subtlety. Arthur could tell when the boy was up to something. "And?"

Merlin sighed, realizing his attempt at subtlety had failed. "She's worried about you. Says you've been acting strangely lately."

"Don't be ridiculous, I haven't been acting any differently than I always do."

"Sire," Merlin answered softly, a worried look creasing his brow, "don't think people are noticing?" he asked bluntly.

"Noticing, _what_ exactly, Merlin?" Arthur demanded.

Merlin almost dropped the subject, but he plunged on anyways. Why couldn't that servant ever take a hint and shut up? Arthur wondered silently in exasperation. "You're watching people differentl," Merlin said. "And staring off into nothing when you're not. Sire, if you're not careful, you're going to give Emrys away without realizing it. And I know you don't want that."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You worry too much, Merlin. No one else knows what really happened in those woods, so no one else is going to notice anything."

"Gwen did," Merlin reminded him. Arthur frowned. He had to admit that was a fair point. Had he really been acting so differently?

"Well unless she pointed out specifically how I seemed to be mulling over the idea of having a new sorcerer-benefactor, I'm not too concerned," he answered finally. Taking another bite of his chicken. There was a moment's silence while he thought over his own words. Even he didn't believe what he just said. "Is it that obvious?" Arthur asked finally. Merlin looked at him pointedly, causing Arthur to sigh. "All right, so maybe I have been a bit…distracted lately."

Merlin snorted at the understatement. "You have to stop looking for him, Arthur. You're the crown prince of Camelot, people pay too much attention to you."

Arthur sighed again. Maybe Merlin was right. He certainly wasn't going to find Emrys, at least not anytime soon. And if he kept looking, sooner or later someone was bound to notice that something was going one—someone less trustworthy than Merlin or Guinivere. If he wasn't a prince then maybe he'd have more freedom to look for this mysterious ally. But he was.

If he wasn't a prince…

An idea donned on him.

"Very well Merlin, you're right. I need to stop looking for Emrys."

Merlin looked relieved.

"So…_you're_ going to look for him for me."

The relief gave way to panic. "_Me?_ And how do you expect I do that!" Merlin demanded. "Maybe you've forgotten, but I've never even seen the man!" he protested desperately.

"Well, neither have I really," Arthur pointed out. "So good luck!"

"You have _got_ to be joking."

"Nope!" Arthur grinned broadly at the horrified look on Merlin's face. This was going to be fun.

Merlin walked through the door, sat down, and put his head on the table without saying a word.

"Good heavens, my boy, what is it this time?" Gaius asked, laughing softly at the boy's comical entrance.

"ArthurwantsmetofindEmrys," he mumbled into the table.

"Come again?"

With a sigh, Merlin lifted his head up. "Arthur wants me to find Emrys," he said more clearly.

Gaius' eyes opened wide. "Merlin, please tell me you are joking."

"That's what I said to him."

Gaius stared at his ward for a long moment, then broke into laughter. "My boy, how do you manage to get into these situations?" he crossed the room and sat down across from him.

"Just natural talent I guess," Merlin responded, laughing a little at himself as well. "But what could I do? I couldn't refuse without drawing attention to myself." He sighed. "Then again, even if I _told_ him I was Emrys, I doubt he'd believe me," he added with a chuckle.

Gaius laughed at that. "Best not test that theory," he pointed out.

"But what exactly am I supposed to do now? 'Search' for Emrys and just not find him?"

"I don't see anything else you can do," Gaius pointed out.

Merlin sighed heavily. "But Arthur will ask what I'm doing for the search," he pointed out.

"Tell him you're asking around but haven't found anything yet."

"And just how long do you think that will work?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well Arthur's been looking for him for what, two months now? Without getting any leads. If he complains before then just point out that he didn't have any better luck."

"And after two months? Believe me, Gaius, Arthur's not going to let this go."

"So make something up to send him in circles."

"If I make up a lead he'll just send _me_ to follow those circles."

"So then tell him it was a dead end and start all over again. Eventually he'll learn Emrys can't be found."

"Maybe…" Merlin wasn't so sure. Arthur seemed quite determined to find this mysterious sorcerer. He didn't think anything would stop him from searching until he actually _found_ the man. Which did not bode very well for Merlin.

Merlin could just picture it.

"_Hey Merlin, have you found Emrys yet, by any chance?"_

"_Why yes, actually, I knew who he was long before you knew he even existed."_

"_Really? Why didn't you ever say anything?"_

"_Because I'm him and was afraid you'd put my head on the chopping block."_

Merlin didn't think that would go over very well. But a simple "I haven't found him yet," would not be a sufficient enough excuse for long, and Gaius knew that too.

**A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait!! I have been utterly swamped with papers and speeches and recitals and who-knows what else! Next chapter won't take so long. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! I'd love some feedback.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Polish my armor, wash my socks, much the stables…" Merlin muttered under his breath as he trudged on towards the stables. The royal prat could dance around anyone with a sword without getting a scratch but he couldn't even do his own chores.

With a sigh, Merlin opened the stable door to begin his work.

The horses seemed on edge today, which made Merlin's duty of caring for them more than a bit difficult. He was in the process of spreading fresh straw on a stall floor when the ground started quaking.

"Not again."

The horses went wild, even though the earthquake was once again rather small. Merlin practically flew out of the stall he'd been working in, a quite impressive feat giving how off-balanced the trembling ground was making him. He managed to get free of the horses safely. He stood still, waiting for the ground to quiet. It was a few minutes before the earth stilled again.

Grabbing for the horse nearest the stall door—where he remained safely behind—Merlin stroked the mare and muttered softly to her until she calmed down some. The other horses seemed to take their cue from her that things were all right now, allowing Merlin to enter the stall again with relative safety, soothing each of the beasts in turn.

Two earthquakes in three days? Merlin didn't know much about earthquakes, but he was fairly certain that was not the average experience. Leaving the horses relatively calm, Merlin returned to Gaius's chambers.

When he returned, Gaius was cleaning up pieces of a shattered pot from the floor.

"Did you feel it?" Merlin asked as he walked in.

Gaius slowly straightened. "Yes," he said shortly. "I did."

Merlin looked at the remaining fragments on the floor. "_Asioth," _he muttered. The shards immediately disintegrated into dust and then flew out the open window.

"Merlin!" Gaius scolded. Merlin responded with a guilty grin. Gaius couldn't stop a chuckle of his own from escaping. "Very well," he conceded, setting his own shards among others on the table. Merlin quickly repeated the spell.

"Is it normal?" Merlin asked, returning to the subject at hand.

"Is what normal?"

"Two earthquakes so close together?"

Gaius's demeanor became much more somber. "No," he answered.

Merlin didn't like the sound of that. "So…what does that mean?"

Gaius hesitated. "I don't know. It may be nothing."

"And if it's not nothing?" he asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

"I fear these earthquakes might not be natural."

"What can we do? Tell the king?"

Gaius shook his head. "I will not bring sorcery to Uther's attention until I am certain." Merlin nodded. They both knew what that could bring. No one, especially not Merlin or Gaius, wanted a repeat of the witchfinder incident.

"If this _is_ magic, is there anything I can do?"

"I do not know."

"Of…course you don't," Merlin heaved a sigh. If they knew the answer before things got too deadly, that would just be too easy. "Well," he said, standing up, "I'll go see what I can find on magical earthquakes." He retreated to his room to retrieve his spell book from under the floorboard.

While he could not point towards sorcery yet, Gaius had no reason not to speak to Uther about the peculiarity of these shakes. Certain non-magical, physical things could trigger sequential earthquakes. Of course, he didn't really have any reason to believe such things had occurred, and even if these were natural, even natural recurring earthquakes did not bode well for Camelot. But hopefully he could convince Uther to take preparations, in case more earthquakes were on the way.

He sent word with a servant to request an audience with the King, then waited in the throne room. He hoped Uther came soon. Sometime he would come immediately when Gaius requested, but usually that was when the danger was obvious and he hoped that Gaius had found a solution. Other, more peaceful times, he could take some time to answer the old physician.

This time was like the latter. Gaius had just considered sitting down—no matter how improper it might be—when the king at last strode through the doors.

"Good afternoon, Sire," Gaius greeted. Uther nodded in return greeting, indicating for the guards who had followed him to remain outside and shut the door.

"Gaius. You have something you wish to discuss with me?"

"I do, Your Majesty. You felt the second earthquake, I presume?"

"Of course. All of Camelot felt it."

Gaius chose his next words very carefully. "Two earthquakes so close together, Sire, it is strange."

"An aftershock," Uther scoffed, not at all concerned.

"I hope that to be so," Gaius responded truthfully. "But I am not convinced. Aftershocks generally do not come two days after the initial quake. And generally, they are milder than the first, as well."

Uther laughed. "The second shock was barely more than the previous, that's of no concern to us."

"Sire, an aftershock stronger than the first is unheard of," Gaius protested, "no matter how slight the difference."

Uther became slightly more concerned. He strode to the window, looking out thoughtfully over his city. Camelot's people were going about their daily routines, as usual. "So what are you suggesting?" he asked after the pause. "Sorcery? No sorcerer could be powerful enough to shake the earth itself."

"Let's hope you're right, but sorcery is not the only thing than can cause strange reactions from nature."

"You're thinking a natural cause, then?" Uther asked.

"It is possible." Uther motioned for him to continue. "Sometimes an initial shift in the earth can trigger a chain of earthquakes following. But unlike the aftershocks, these following earthquakes can be just as bad as the first, and sometimes they get worse."

"So you're saying there could be more of these earthquakes?"

"There is a possibility, my lord."

Uther paused as he processed this new information. "So far the earthquakes have done hardly any damage," he said slowly. "If they continue on this scale we should have no problem."

"But if they escalate, Sire, Camelot could be in grave peril."

"What would you have me do?" He asked, skeptically. "There is little we can do against such earthquakes. _If_, indeed, they come."

"You could ration food supplies, my lord. Those who live in poorer homes must be moved as well, to someplace with more stable walls."

Uther shook his head. "No. Rationing food we can do, but it is far too soon to make such a public display of caution as to move people. We do not want panic in the streets."

Gaius held his tongue. It was folly not to use every last moment they had for preparations, but he certainly couldn't call Uther a fool.

"Uther's a fool."

"Merlin, we do not even know if these earthquakes will continue."

"But you said yourself there's a possibility. Why is he willing to take such a chance?" Merlin always had a harder time seeing things from the king's perspective than Gaius did.

"What about you, Merlin? Did you find anything in the book?"

Merlin shook his head. "Nothing directly tied to earthquakes. I've got some damage-control type spells ready, though." And he did. He had spent a good amount of time memorizing a variety of spells. Unfortunately, many of them he wouldn't be able to practice until an actual need for it arose, which meant he didn't really know if he could make them work yet.

"Let's hope you won't have to use them."

Merlin nodded in silent agreement, then stood up and strode towards the door. 

"Where are you going?"

"If I can convince Arthur, maybe he can convince the king."

It was already approaching the dinner hour, and tonight Arthur would not be dining with Uther, so Merlin first swung by the kitchens to fetch the prince's dinner before hurrying up the stairs. It was still a tad early, but Arthur was always faulting him for being tardy so that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Arthur wasn't quite back from his royal duties yet, so Merlin set the food on the table and waited.

Arthur was exceedingly glad he was not eating with his father tonight. Uther had told him about the meeting with Gaius. While the king claimed the old man's caution to be unnecessary, Arthur could always tell when a small amount of doubt lingered in the back of his father's mind. And Uther was not very pleasant to be around when he was in doubt.

And Arthur didn't want the king to notice his son's own doubts. These earthquakes…surely they were over now, weren't they?

Opening the door to his chambers, he found Merlin—and more importantly, food—waiting for him.

"Thank goodness, I'm starved," Arthur said as he plopped down in front of the food. Merlin remained silent. "What's wrong with you? Normally I can't get you to shut up."

"Sire, have you spoken with the king today, by any chance?"

Arthur suppressed a sigh. Maybe he wouldn't get out of this conversation after all. "I'm assuming your asking about Gaius's theory?"

Merlin nodded.

"Well, as my father said it would create a panic to move people around now, and probably without reason to."

"It's the 'probably' that worries me, Arthur. We can't know for sure, but Gaius says there's a distinct possibility that the earthquakes will continue. If that happens and we haven't done anything about it, people could die."

"It's not my fault!" Arthur snapped, much to Merlin's surprise. "It's not like we can fight earthquakes! It's not like I can do anything to stop more from coming! What would you have me do?"

Merlin was in shock at the prince's defensive tone. He hesitated before continuing, but he had to try. "P-perhaps you could talk to your father."

"And tell him what, exactly?" he demanded.

Merlin didn't really know how to respond. He was used to Arthur ignoring him, so he hadn't really expected much of this conversation, but Arthur wasn't normally so…aggressive in his dismissal of Merlin's perspective. He normally just laughed it off as folly. "Just…suggest that maybe moving people into stronger fortifications as a precaution is a good idea," Merlin answered at last.

Arthur snorted, as if to say, "Ya, I'm sure that would work ever so perfectly," but didn't actually respond. Merlin dropped the argument. At least he had tried.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Arthur stared out his window once again that evening before he retired for sleep. Merlin had already been dismissed—leaving Arthur to his thoughts, and his doubts.

What if he'd been wrong?

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Merlin asked the next morning as he pulled the tarp tighter.

"Let's hope so. Some of these powders are hard to come by," Gaius responded. They currently had a variety of small pots packed tightly together and held in place by a large tarp. In theory, they should be sparred from the next earthquake, if another one really did come.

"How long do you think it will be until the next earthquake?"

"I can't say. There were two days between the first two, but with only two points to go on, its hard to reach a conclusion. If more come, hopefully they'll come somewhat regularly, which would allow us to prepare for them to some degree."

Merlin shrugged his jacket on as he listened. "Well, I'm off," he told his mentor.

"Be safe Merlin, and stay alert for anything unusual," Gaius instructed. "If there's anything magical to this, you're the most likely to see it." Merlin nodded and left for the kitchens, followed by Arthur's chambers with breakfast once again.

Arthur was already dressed by the time Merlin walked in.

"You're late. Again."

"Good morning to you too, Sire," Merlin responded as he set the tray down. Honestly, by now Arthur should really be used enough to his tardiness to not comment every single morning.

"Never mind, I was just heading to the practice fields and you're going to come with me."

Merlin didn't both to conceal his groan. There was only one reason he ever accompanied Arthur to the training fields—his usual sparring partners were occupied, giving Arthur the perfect excuse to beat Merlin with the flat of his sword while Merlin helplessly tried to dodge.

Arthur didn't even pause for his breakfast, rather he picked a couple of the sausages off the plate and ate them on his way out, Merlin trailing behind him like an obedient—if dejected—puppy.

Twenty minutes later and the two faced each other on the grass. At least there was no one else around. The training grounds were deserted for the moment. Merlin clumsily held a sword in his hand as Arthur expertly and habitually whipped his around through the air twice before he took his fighting stance. Neither of them had shields: a sword _and_ a shield would be too much for Merlin to think about, and Merlin was in no danger of coming even _close_ to connecting a hit against Arthur, so the prince really didn't even need a shield.

Arthur darted in a slashed at his servant, who only just managed to bring his sword up in time to deflect it.

Well, perhaps _darted,_ isn't quite the right word, it was more of a leisurely stepping forward from Arthur's perspective, Merlin just didn't have a clue what he was doing.

Another dart forward and Merlin raised his sword once again to block the oncoming blow, but Arthur changed direction mid-swing and instead struck Merlin lightly in the side with the flat of his blade. Even with the gentle strike, Merlin still winced slightly as the metal collided with his ribs.

"Come on, Merlin," Arthur jibed. "I've seen girls fight better than you."

Merlin was about to retort saying Morgana didn't count, seeing as even Arthur has lost to her, but at the thought of her Merlin's heart sank with guilt.

Arthur, oblivious as always, took Merlin's distraction as another opportunity to smack him with the sword—this time on his thigh.

"Come on, Merlin," Arthur taunted again.

Pushing Morgana out of his head—again—Merlin rushed forward and wildly swung his sword at Arthur, who dodged easily and returned the favor by tapping Merlin on the head with the flat of his blade. Arthur let out a short laugh.

Merlin highly doubted this constituted as "training" for the prince. No way was he getting any sort of improvement out of torturing his manservant. The stupid prat simply enjoyed this!

Merlin rushed forward again, but stumbled—and so did Arthur.

_Not again_.

The ground was once more shaking, and though Merlin wasn't an expert on earthquakes, he was quite sure this one was significantly stronger than the last two. The two stayed still, waiting for it to pass.

It kept shaking.

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other. "What's going on?" the former asked.

"How should I know?" Merlin retorted. The other earthquakes would have stopped already.

It was several more minutes before it stopped.

They stood there silently for several seconds. "That was longer than usual," Merlin said at last, looking uncertainly at Arthur.

"Really?" Arthur said sarcastically, then he stalked off towards the end of the field, leaving Merlin trailing behind. Merlin left his sword with the rest of the swords belonging to the training fields. Apparently training was over for the day.

Merlin had a bad feeling—again. These earthquakes were going to keep coming, and they were going to get worse. That was all too apparent now. How could Uther doubt that? A small part of Merlin hoped that the king would see reason now, but he knew it was a false hope.

So absorbed in his thoughts, Merlin almost ran into Arthur when he stopped suddenly. Then the prince walked off in a different direction, and Merlin realized what had drawn his attention. There was some sort of commotion in the lower square, and Arthur seemed intent to find out why.

Arthur picked his way through the crowd, just in time to see a few more crates moved by frantic hands to reveal a child, quite battered and bruised.

"What happened here?" Arthur demanded, as the boy's mother ran forward and held him gingerly, not wanting to hurt him further, weeping in relief.

"Your highness!" A member of the crowd said in surprise. He quickly bowed.

"Enough of that," Arthur answered, waving off the formality. The man straightened from his bow. "What happened?" the prince repeated.

"The earthquake, Sire. That pile of crates fell on top poor Tam there."

Merlin stopped listening, and instead approached the boy and mother.

"Are you all right?" Merlin asked gently, crouching down next to them. The boy was crying, but seemed more afraid than anything. He was bruised, but didn't appear harmed beyond that. His mother seemed more hysterical than the boy.

Tam nodded through watery eyes.

"Merlin, let's go," Arthur called.

Tam's eyes widened. "You work for the _prince?_" he asked in amazement.

"Sure do," Merlin answered. Then he leaned forward, grinning mischievously. "I'll tell you a secret though." Tam leaned forward eagerly. "Sometimes he wines more than a hungry baby." That earned him a laugh even from the boy's mother. Then Merlin stood and followed Arthur back towards the palace.

"What did you say to him?" Arthur asked as they walked.

"Just asked him if he was all right," Merlin answered, hoping Arthur didn't notice the twinkle of humor in his eyes.

Arthur didn't say another word, and Merlin was afraid to break the oppressing silence. Something was bother Arthur—that was all too apparent. And Merlin was fairly certain that something was more than just the earthquakes.

The walked all the way back to Arthur's chambers in silence. And when the door shut behind them, Merlin stood there waiting. He hadn't been dismissed, but he hadn't been given any additional orders, either.

"What are you doing about Emrys?" Arthur asked rather suddenly. Merlin started in surprise.

"I haven't had much chance to look around yet," he answered. Good thing he'd already planned out what he was going to say when asked about this. "But these earthquakes will make things a bit easier to ask around discretely."

"What do you mean?"

Merlin paused, thinking the answer was obvious. "Well…" he responded slowly, "I can use the earthquakes as an excuse to ask about sorcery." There were already whispers on the street about the possibility of these earthquakes not being natural. He wouldn't even be stirring up new ideas by asking around. Of course, he wouldn't even really ask around. But Arthur wouldn't know that.

There was a long pause after Merlin said this.

"Do you think this is the work of sorcery?" Arthur asked softly.

Merlin stared at him oddly. "I…don't know," he answered, though in truth he was fairly certain the answer was yes. "But, that's not really what I'm asking about after all," he pointed out.

Arthur nodded slightly without looking at his servant; he was staring at nothing in particular.

"Arthur, are you all right?"

"I need to speak with my father," he answered, and promptly left the room. Merlin stared after him but didn't follow. What was going on?

Arthur found his father in the council room.

"How long will the stored food last us?" King Uther asked the man standing next to him.

"That depends on how many people you are planning on supporting, my lord."

Uther nodded slowly. "Everyone, and then just the main square and palace," he answered.

"Enough to support all of Camelot for a week, maybe two if we stretch it thin. If only the main square and palace, probably two months." Uther nodded grimly.

Arthur waited until the men had left him and his father alone before speaking. "You can't be seriously considering withdrawing support from the lower town." How could they abandon over half their people?

"It's not something I want," Uther assured him, "but we may have to. It may not come to that, however," Uther responded. "The food storage is just a precaution, we may not even need to tap them."

Arthur chose his words carefully. "So you think more earthquakes will come?"

Uther sighed. "We have had three already, and they're getting worse. I fear Gaius may have been right."

So far so good, if he was already admitting he might have been wrong. "If that's so, then why aren't we taking his advice?" Arthur asked reasonably.

"I am," Uther answered firmly. "We are rationing the food storage, just like he suggested."

"But we're not moving people from the poor district," Arthur pointed out.

"It would create panic," he answered sternly.

"There's already panic. Moving them isn't going to cause anymore, but it _will_ make them feel safer." Uther didn't respond right away. "I just witnessed a child crushed by crates," he informed his father. "He'll be all right, but he was lucky. The next person might not be." Uther still didn't respond, so Arthur dared to continue. "You say you don't want to withdraw support from them, but if it comes to that the least we can do is give them stable walls, if we can't even give them food."

Arthur hoped he wasn't overstepping his bounds. He knew how much his father hated being second-guessed. But he should have listened to Merlin and talked to his father earlier. These earthquakes were already getting dangerous.

"The reconstruction of the east section from the dragon attack is mostly complete," Uther commented. "And the buildings there are sturdier than most of the lower town." He paused. "Begin preparations to move the lower town residents two days hence."

Arthur let out the breath he had been holding.

"Yes, Sire."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I just realized this fic has reached over 100 reviews! Thank you guys sooooo much for all of your support! I'm really happy to know this story's being enjoyed. Here's the next chapter: hope you like!**

Chapter Six

"Arthur?" Merlin called as he entered the room. He wasn't there, which Merlin had expected. The prince was probably somewhere in town doing the rounds with some of the guards, looking for suspicious behavior.

Which meant, of course, that if Merlin started behaving suspiciously, they would probably notice. Plus, he was supposed to be mucking out the stables again, and Arthur would have his head if he didn't. How was he supposed to be searching for Emrys on top of all these chores?

Merlin crossed to the wardrobe to hang up the pair of pants he had just had mended. Then left again to head to the stables.

He met Gaius in one of the halls. "How is Tam?" Merlin asked right away. The physician had gone to check on the boy's injuries that morning.

"He is fortunate," Gaius responded. "No broken bones, no internal injuries. Just some nasty bruises and a bad memory."

"Thank goodness."

"That boy could have been seriously hurt. The next time could be much, much worse." Gaius glanced around to make sure they were alone. "I fear we may need some of those tricks of yours soon, Merlin," he added quietly.

Merlin shook his head. His spells could only do so much. "We need to know what we're dealing with," he said at last. "We can't do anything until we know exactly what this is."

"What do you suggest?"

"I don't know." This would be so much easier if he didn't have to chase around doing Arthur's chores all day long. Then he could actually _look_ for sorcery, instead of hoping to just stumble upon it. Then he nodded slowly. "If it's sorcery, I'll find out for sure." He passed Gaius, but he did not turn to go outside towards the stables. Finding the cause of these earthquakes was more important than cleaning the stables right now. He'd deal with Arthur's fury later. In the meantime, he had an idea.

Everything he'd read about earthquakes so far said that they started deep underground. Magic worked most easily when you worked _with_ nature, instead of fighting against it. Which meant that for these earthquakes to work as flawlessly as possible, they would have to be rooted deep underground as well.

Merlin needed to go as deep into the earth as he could, and that was the dragon's caves.

The caves were no longer guarded—there was no need, now that the dragon was gone, which made Merlin's task a bit easier. He took a torch from the wall before heading down the steep stairs.

The caves were eerily quiet. There was no clanking chain, no dust falling from above as the dragon shifted, no whoosh as a giant body flew down from above to tell him riddles or warnings. Just quiet.

Merlin looked around grimly as he walked to the drop off. The second, much steeper set of stairs leading far below into the darkness were there before him. The last time he had descended these steps disaster had struck. Those memories still haunted him. The flames, the screams. He took a deep, calming breath, and placed one foot in front of the other, slowly descending.

At last he descended the last step. He turned his back on the broken chain remains and instead focused on the rock formation, placing a hand on the rough stone.

He didn't have a spell for this, but a spell as powerful as these earthquakes would have to leave some sort of trace for him to sense. Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he cast his awareness forward through the stone.

There was nothing for a long distance, then Merlin felt it, a faint shiver of power that made his senses tremble at the touch. Then a split second later it vanished.

What?

He pulled his senses back and felt it again. It was paper-thin. If he cast his awareness just a little too short or a little too far, he could no longer sense it. It was definitely sorcery though; and the way his senses shook when he mentally gripped it left no doubt that it was the source of the earthquakes. It pulled him slightly to the left, so he followed, his feet walking him along the wall. The spark was perfectly level and continued on for who knows how long.

Merlin withdrew his senses to himself again. He had to wait a moment until he was steady on his feet once more, then he began the long climb up again. He had the proof he needed.

Well, proof was a relative term.

Gaius was back in his workroom, putting together some sort of concoction. "We were right," Merlin informed him, shutting the door behind him. "It's sorcery."

Gaius' eyes widened. "You're certain? How did you find out?"

"Um…well, basically I…hm." How could he explain what he had done?

Gaius looked at him suspiciously. "Are you hesitating because you've done something you shouldn't have or because you don't have the words to describe it?" He asked.

"The second, definitely," Merlin responded. "Well, it was magic," Merlin added as an afterthought, "so technically the first, too."

"As long as you didn't do anything stupid, then I don't particularly care as long as it can help all this. Can you stop it?"

Merlin shook his head. "I have no idea. The spell's locked into the earth somehow, I don't know how to knock it loose."

Gaius sat down heavily. "It could be using any number of things as an anchor." He sat in silent thought for a moment. "Uther needs to be told."

"What can you tell him though? That I sensed the spell with my own magic?"

"I'll make something up," Gaius responded. He stood up again and made to leave. "Don't forget to care for your wound," he called over his shoulder.

Merlin rolled his eyes. How could he forget? Obediently, he took out a small jar full of green powder from under the tarp. He tapped some of the powder into a clean bowl on the table and poured some water on top of it, just like Gaius had told him. After mixing it, he had a bowl of thick green paste.

He sat down next to the table and stripped off his shirt. The scar was still as red and ugly as ever, but the pain was now but a dull annoyance, easily ignored. It was nothing compared to what it had been before.

Merlin dipped his hand into the unpleasant-smelling paste and gingerly placed it on his scar. He winced slightly at the pressure as he rubbed the ointment in, but kept at it until his skin had absorbed the paste.

It did always feel much better after the paste, but he hadn't dared ask what was is in it, for fear of the answer. With Gaius's potions, it was just better not to know. Then he replaced the jar under the tarp.

The door burst open. "Merlin!" Arthur called urgently as he strolled in.

Merlin sat bold upright. "Good evening, Sire," he answered as calmly as he could while fighting down panic. He was extremely thankful his back was to the door. But what could he do now? He couldn't turn around and stroll over to his shirt on the table, and he couldn't just stand here with his back to Arthur. "I thought you were on patrol."

He also couldn't just sit here on the floor not moving. He leaned forward and reached under the tarp as though he was searching for something to cover his hesitation.

"I was reporting to my father when Gaius came to speak to him," Arthur answered. "It's sorcery isn't it?"

"Is that what Gaius said?" Merlin asked, still reaching under the tarp. His fingers closed around a large pot and he pulled it out.

"My father asked me to leave, so I don't know," he answered irritably. "But Gaius had that look on his face."

"What look?" Merlin held the pot in front of him, looking down to make sure it covered the entirety of his scar—which it did—before turning around.

"The look that says he's about to tell my father something that he is _really_ not going to like."

Merlin nervously walked between Arthur and the table and casually set the pot down, grabbing his shirt in the process. "It looks that way," he admitted as he pulled the shirt over his head. He forced himself to breathe naturally and turned around to face the prince.

He almost wished he hadn't. The look on Arthur's face was horribly uncertain and agitated.

"Merlin," Arthur said slowly, "please tell me you've made progress in finding Emrys."

"I've been asking," he lied, "but I can't exactly push the subject hard without drawing unwanted attention."

Arthur swore and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Can't you do anything right, Merlin?" he accused.

"Hey! You searched for him for two months without finding him," Merlin retorted. "I've had less than a week."

Arthur didn't respond, rather he started pacing.

"Arthur, what's going on?"

Arthur forced himself to stop pacing. "If there's a sorcerer behind these earthquakes, my father's going to start a search."

Well that was bound to make things a bit more annoying. How was Merlin supposed to find and stop this evil sorcerer with Uther on the prowl? And _Uther_ wasn't going to find him, that was for sure. No sorcerer smart enough to pull off this kind of attack would come close to getting caught by the king.

But that wasn't exactly unexpected, and that didn't explain why Arthur was so nervous. "Are you…worried about Emrys?" Merlin asked. Arthur didn't respond. "Arthur, he has been hiding under your father's nose for over a year now. I'm sure he's pretty good about keeping a low profile by now."

"I know." Arthur sighed. Then he frowned at him."Hey, how did you know Emrys has been here for a year?"

Merlin swore silently, panic momentarily rendering him motionless. "You told me."

"No…I'm pretty sure I didn't."

"No?" Merlin shrugged. "Well you met him over two months ago," Merlin pointed out, brain racing. "I guess I just assumed he'd been in Camelot a while before then, too." Arthur looked at him suspiciously for a moment more, then seemed to accept that answer. Merlin very nearly sighed in relief. "Emrys can take care of himself, Arthur," he pointed out.

"I'll be heading the search."

Ah. _That_ made more sense. "You _want_ to find him," Merlin surmised.

Arthur closed his eyes for a moment. "Is that horrible?"

Merlin didn't respond at first. "You realize, if he _is_ found out, he'll be killed. Is that what you want?"

"No!" Arthur responded immediately. "But…"

"But then you'll know who he is."

"I _am_ worried about him," Arthur insisted. "But this is probably my best chance to find him."

"Arthur," he said softly, "if you find Emrys on this search, you won't be the only one." Merlin had to know: which was more important to Arthur? Finding Emrys, or keeping him alive? Arthur didn't respond, and after a long silence, it became increasingly obvious that he wasn't going to. Merlin took a deep, quiet breath, calming his own nerves. "All right, how about this: If you find _Emrys _on this search, what about this evil sorcerer? Who's going to find him?"

Arthur still didn't respond at first. "Camelot's safety comes first." He stormed out without another word.

"Arthur!" Merlin called after him, but the prince didn't respond.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Eek! I am SO sorry for the long wait! I wrote about half of this all in one go, but then I hit some writer's block. That combined with working full time, taking a summer class, and doing all of my summer reading resulted in this delay. I'm sorry about that. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! In the meantime, I've got a pretty good idea what I want to do with the next chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter Seven

Once Arthur had left, Uther turned back to Gaius. "What is it?"

"Sire, I'm afraid I have some unsettling news."

"I heard there was an injury in town," Uther informed him. "I also heard the child is fine, so if that is your news—"

"I'm afraid it's a bit more serious than that." Uther stayed silent, inviting Gaius to continue. "Sire, these earthquakes, they're getting steadily worse."

"We've covered this already, Gaius," Uther responded impatiently. "I have taken your advice. We are rationing our food supplies _and_ moving the residents of the lower town into sturdier constructions. What more do you suggest?" he asked coldly, clearly not expecting an answer.

"I know, Sire. But it's more than that."

"What is it?"

"The timing," Gaius said simply. "The time between the earthquakes is shrinking at approximately the same proportion as their strength is increasing. They're also lasting progressively longer. That's three variables changing proportionally. That's not a coincidence."

Uther put his hands on the table and leaned heavily upon them. He was silent for a long moment. "So these are not natural after all."

"No, Your Majesty, I'm afraid they are not."

"It's sorcery." He pounded his fist on the table in anger. "How can any sorcerer be powerful enough to shake a whole city!" he demanded.

"I wish I had an answer, My Lord."

Uther stayed still for a moment, then strode over and opened the door. "Bring my son back here," he commanded a guard outside. Then he closed the door once more. "Camelot will not fall to a sorcerer while I am king," he muttered, more to himself than to Gaius. Gaius chose not to answer.

Arthur stormed towards his chambers at first, but then changed directions and headed towards one of the towers instead. His father would send for him soon, of that he was certain, and then Arthur would begin the search for a sorcerer in hiding. But Arthur had some things to think through before that happened, so he was going to make himself difficult to find for the time being.

His head reeled. What would he do? He had very little time to decide. No matter what, he would have to head the search. There was no way he could refuse without drawing immediate suspicion. But who would he be searching for? This evil sorcerer plaguing Camelot? Or Emrys? This had to be the greatest opportunity to find Emrys he would get. He could search to his heart's content, with the help of all his knights as well, and no one would think anything of it.

But Merlin was right. If he found Emrys on this search, there was very little chance he'd be able to conceal the fact. He'd like to think that he would be the only one to recognize whatever evidence of sorcery they would find, that he could keep the evidence from his knights, then figure out what to do when he had more time to think, but the knights would be with him in every room, searching every nook and cranny right alongside him. No, if he found Emrys now, the sorcerer would be found and executed: no questions, no trial.

On the other hand, who was to say he even _could_ find Emrys on this search? Emrys had been hiding in the castle for over a year, and the past year Uther had ordered numerous searches for this very same purpose, and Emrys had never been discovered.

_It's different this time_, Arthur told himself. _I know he's here, so I'll be paying more attention._

But that wasn't true either. He'd known there was sorcery before, that was the whole reason for the searches to begin with! He'd been paying just as much attention before and had still noticed nothing.

_But I've _seen_ him now!_

Well…sort of.

Emrys hadn't even been found out when the witchfinder had come. And the witchfinder had turned out to be a sorcerer himself! He'd coughed up toads for crying out loud! If a _sorcerer_ couldn't recognize a fellow sorcerer on a very, _very_ thorough search, what chance did Arthur have?

And if that was the case, then this search was entirely pointless—a complete waste of time—and his father was just being an idiot. If Emrys, who had had months to make a mistake and give himself away, was able to remain undetected throughout these searches, what hope did they have to find a completely unfamiliar sorcerer? They'd be better off putting their efforts into something more useful, like helping to move the residents of the lower town. And once that was done? There was nothing anyone could do. They couldn't fight this sorcerer unless they found him, and that was increasingly seeming impossible. Which meant that, at least against a magical threat, he and his knights were utterly useless, which meant that Camelot was utterly defenseless.

_Except_ for Emrys.

But…what if—

No. Arthur shook his head violently, not even allowing himself to think that.

And all previous searches must have been equally useless! That was a frustrating thought.

Emrys _must_ have been defending them all this time. That was the only possible explanation. The only one, he repeated to himself firmly.

At last Arthur opened a door to the outside, the fresh air soothing his heated skin from the climb up the steep steps as well as from his inner turmoil. He walked over to the outer wall and looked out over the city, antsy and agitated. He let out a long breath, trying to rid himself of this restlessness. He had to make a decision.

But then again, did he? Looking for sorcery was looking for sorcery. Whether—_even_ though there were two different sorcerers to look for, it's not like he could pick and choose which leads to follow, only going after the "right" trail. He wouldn't know the difference.

Arthur gave a short, stifled laugh at himself. What a fool he was! Worrying about something that wasn't even in his power to decide. He'd do the search, but his leads would take him where his leads would take him.

Then his sudden light-hearted mood darkened again. If it wasn't in his power to choose the search, neither could he choose the findings. If they found any leads…how would he know which he was coming closer to finding?

_It doesn't matter,_ Arthur reminded himself. The searches were meaningless anyway. They wouldn't find anything—he already knew that.

Which meant, once again, they were just wasting their time.

Merlin trudged back from the stables he had previously neglected, feeling very tired. Between doing his usual chores, magically searching for the spell, dodging Arthur's suspicions as well as trying to make the stubborn prince see reason, and the added strain of knowing a full-out hunt for sorcery had begun, Merlin felt physically, magically, and emotionally drained.

The bright side to Arthur heading the search for the sorcerer was that he was far too busy to give Merlin his usually obscenely long list of chores. So now that the stables were done, he really didn't have anything else to do. Yet despite this, Merlin's mood was not lightened.

Arthur had said he trusted Emrys. He had admitted that Emrys was an ally, and even thanked him for saving his life. But...

Merlin shook his head slightly. _Why_ was Arthur so persistent? Was it really as simple as just not being able to stand not knowing? That wasn't entirely unbelievable. Arthur was idiotically stubborn. When he got an idea in his head, he'd never let it go. So maybe that's all this was.

Merlin wasn't entirely convinced that's all it was, and he hated himself for it. He wanted to trust Arthur; he desperately wanted to trust him. But part of him couldn't shake the feeling that maybe Arthur wasn't quite convinced of Emrys' loyalties. With each day that passed, Merlin was increasingly glad he had not lowered his hood that day in the forest. But with each day that passed, that gladness was mixed quite thoroughly with an aching sorrow in the pit of his stomach.

He stopped at the water pump on his way back to the castle. He forced his thoughts elsewhere. They landed on the earthquakes. That wasn't much better. Sometimes he wished he could turn his brain off.

With a sigh, Merlin cranked the pump and splashed the cold water on his face, then dried with his neckerchief. He paused, another idea coming to him.

Merlin stared at the ground.

"Excuse me, lad." Merlin started and turned around. Then obediently moved aside for the man to take his turn with the pump. After standing around awkwardly for a moment, Merlin walked away, planting himself in an unused alleyway instead, watching the activity of the square.

If that line continued, it must pass through this square at some point. It would still be deep, but now that he knew where to look, and what he was looking _for_, he should be able to sense it, even from up here on ground level.

It had felt like a long, straight line, and Merlin couldn't think of any reason for that except to connect the sorcerer to the spell. If he followed the line one way, Merlin reasoned it should lead to the sorcerer. Merlin wasn't too keen on that idea. He had no idea who he was up against. On the other hand, Gaius had said these quakes were changing proportionally, so Merlin figured it was unlikely for each earthquake to be an individual spell. Merlin guessed this was one continuous spell, anchored into the ground somehow. If he followed it the other way, maybe it would lead him to whatever was anchoring this spell in Camelot.

But in broad daylight?

Well, since there was a curfew and a parade of guards each evening, it's not like doing this at night would be any easier.

Merlin took a calming breath, looking around the square nervously, but no one spared a glance in his direction. He cast his awareness directly downwards, deep into the earth. He felt nothing, but that didn't surprise him. Gathering his nerves, Merlin picked a spot on the opposite side of the square and strode through.

There.

He made a mental note as he passed, but continued on, until he inconspicuously reached the far edge. No one watched him as he walked through, no one noticed his seemingly random walk from one side to the other of the square, and that's exactly how he wanted it. Merlin looked back at approximately where he had felt the twinge of the spell. If it really did continue on in a straight line, one end headed towards the palace, the other in the opposite direction.

No sorcerer would be stupid enough to live right underneath Uther's nose, Merlin reasoned.

Wait. Well…no sorcerer bent on the destruction of Camelot. It was perfectly reasonable for _him_, he told himself.

So that direction must be the anchor. Merlin casually rejoined the bustle of all the people scurrying about and diagonally aimed towards the line. When he felt it again, he subtly changed directions and followed it's pull.

Whatever the anchor was, he was going to destroy it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

It took Merlin a while to realize he wasn't walking in a straight line. Granted, it was a little bit hard to tell when the line ran straight underneath the castle and he had to continuously change directions in order to navigate through various rooms and corridors—without acquiring unwanted attention—only to pick up the trace on the other side of an inconveniently placed wall.

The line finally took him outside the castle again, on the other side, leaving him wondering why he didn't simply walk around to the back and find it again there. But in any case, by the time he was outside again, he realized that he was no longer tracing the line northeast, he was heading northwest, which made Merlin frown in confusion.

By the time he'd curved around to the west, he was beginning to wonder if this whole thing was one elaborate hoax to literally send him in circles. Before he could contemplate this unlikely theory, however, he froze in utter bewilderment.

The line split off into two directions. One continued in the general direction he had been following, the other cut sharply to head not quite the same direction he'd just come.

Were there two anchors? But that still didn't make any sense. Why would these traces curve around so awkwardly? Why not just cut evenly towards the two—like a fork in this underground pathway?

Which one should he follow? He paused and glanced in the direction he'd been heading. If it continued on, then theoretically it should land him smack back where he started.

If. Ha! He'd said that about the straight line.

Nevertheless, Merlin did a sharp turn and followed the second line instead. He'd gone only about twenty paces though when it curved around again, and headed somewhere between southeast and due south.

There was no way he could remember all this. And Merlin was beginning to seriously doubt that this magical trace he was following would lead him to whatever was anchoring this spell. This was becoming utterly useless.

But he had to be doing _something!_

Merlin sighed, forcing himself to think straight. This wasn't a dead end, it just wasn't what he'd been expecting. These magical traces still shouldn't be here. Even though he didn't know what they were didn't mean they were useless to him. At least not yet.

It was getting dark again. Merlin made another mental note of where he was, and then he headed back inside. He'd pick this up again tomorrow. But before then, he needed to get some things.

Another door opened to reveal yet another room.

"In the king's name, we are here to search the premises," Arthur announced bluntly as he and his knights barged in on the unsuspecting occupant.

The man didn't bother to ask what they were searching for. There was really only one reason the king ever ordered a search of Camelot. Still looking rather terrified, the man obediently retreated into a corner so he was out of the way, watching as his things were overturned and books flipped through.

"What are those papers?" Burik asked, pointing to a stack on top of the bookshelf.

"Family records," he replied. "And some of them are quite old," he added as the knight pulled over a chair to stand on and retrieve the papers. "Please be careful."

Burik gingerly leafed through the papers—much more kindly than the witchfinder would have done—before replacing them. Arthur didn't need to ask. His lack of response said the papers were indeed simple records.

"There's nothing here, Sire," Leon announced some time later, as he and another returned from searching the bedroom.

"Nothing here, either," Arthur replied. He turned to the occupant again. "Please forgive the disturbance," he uttered for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. He and his knights retreated and moved onto the next door.

They had been searching all day, and they hadn't even finished with the castle yet—not even close. Arthur hated to think how much time they would waste searching all of the dwellings in the town.

Next up were Merlin's quarters. Well…Gaius' quarters. Vaguely, Arthur wondered when he'd begun thinking of them as primarily Merlin's. It seemed so long ago that Gaius had been the only reason he'd entered them. Now whenever he entered he was searching for his tardy manservant.

Except in this case, of course, when he was doing neither.

They barged through the doors once again. "In the king's name, we are here to search the premises," he recited, glancing around the room. No one was here at the moment. Good. That would make things faster and then they could get on with it.

As two of the knights untied the large tarp stretched over a corner of the room to pull it back, Arthur strode over to Merlin's room, leaving the others to search through the physician's supplies and papers—the far more daunting task.

As usual, Merlin's room was a disaster. A few clothes were strewn over the floor, the bed covers pulled almost entirely off of the bed—hanging on by a single tucked corner—and the cupboard stood quite innocently empty, as if to say, "See? At least _I'm_ clean." Arthur rolled his eyes. This was so pointless.

Well, duty was duty. He got down on his knees to peer under the bed, feeling along the mattress seems for any unusual nicks or bumps that would suggest something was hidden in there. Then he stood back up, feeling rather useless. He should be doing something that _mattered._

He strode over to the cupboard and knocked on the back wall. The dull thud proved there to be no secret hollow chamber.

A sudden lurch in the ground made Arthur stumble and almost lose his balance. As the earth continued to shake—rather more violently than previously—he took a step backwards to regain his footing.

A floorboard gave way under his foot, the other end coming up and smacking his knee painfully. That in combination with this earthquake quite successfully caused him to topple over. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. How heroic that would be! The great Prince Arthur is successfully felled by a plank of wood.

In annoyance Arthur shoved the floorboard back into place. This place was in even worse shape than he'd thought if the _floor_ wasn't even properly nailed down. He stubbornly remained in his seated position, waiting for the earthquake to halt.

Several crashes ensued from the main room as pieces of pottery broke on the hard floor, causing Arthur to wince slightly. Gaius was not going to be happy. And old as he was, Gaius was not a pleasant person to be around when his precious potions and powders were tampered with. Arthur knew this from personal experience, for as a boy he had on numerous occasions accidently knocked over something or other of the physician's. Now that he was older, Gaius always treated him with the respect that was due the prince, but when Arthur had been a child, Gaius had had no trouble scolding the lad for poking around where he shouldn't be.

At last the earthquake subsided and Arthur was able to regain his feet. He returned to the main room.

"Is everyone all right?"

Two of his knights were on the ground, and Arthur felt a small satisfaction that he was not the only one to fall over. His satisfaction was short lived when he saw the state of the room.

He'd been right. That was pottery shattering that he'd heard. It looked as though his knights had placed some of the pots on the table in order to sift through them all, and those ones were now in pieces. The ones that had remained on the floor were mostly tipped over. There was a great pile of a muddy liquid on the floor as most of the lids had come loose. A few still appeared in tact.

Many books had also toppled from the shelves. Papers were scattered everywhere.

All in all, it looked remarkably similar to after the witchfinder's search. Not quite as bad, but it would certainly take a long time to clean up and quite a bit of money to repair the damage.

"We're fine, highness," Leon answered. "Though we don't think Gaius is going to be too happy that we moved his tarp just before the biggest earthquake yet."

Arthur nodded. He'd figured that was what the tarp had been for.

"Shall we continue the search, Sire?" Burik asked. Arthur cast half a glance towards the partly-searched bedroom.

This was ridiculous! There was no sorcerer here. With a silent, half-laugh Arthur thought that if there _were_ a sorcerer living here, they'd have fixed that cursed floorboard at the very least.

"We are wasting our time here," he answered at last. "And I believe we've caused enough damage. Let's continue our search elsewhere."

His men didn't argue, they simply followed him from the room.

Arthur paused as a servant walked by. "You," he ordered. "Find Gaius and tell him he may wish to return to his chambers. If he requests help to clean up, fetch him some more servants to assist him, on my pay."

Merlin landed in an ungraceful heap on the ground. _Really? _he thought angrily. He tried to regain his feet, but the shaking was too violent to let him stand, so he remained on the ground to wait the quake out.

A booming crash followed immediately by a large amount of debris and dust spewing out in a giant cloud made Merlin burry his face in his arm to shield his eyes. He peered around his cover through tearing eyes, blinking rapidly to clear them. Before he could get a proper look at what had happened, some smaller, crumbling sounds came from a different direction, followed by a few more, scattered around.

It was some time before the earthquake ceased. Slowly, Merlin stood up again, giving a few coughs as he inhaled the smoky dust that still clogged the air. He tucked the paper he was clutching down the front of his shirt and crept forward.

A building—a small house—had collapsed. Two of the walls had toppled, followed quickly by the roof. The other walls stubbornly remained firm. As the dust settled, Merlin looked around. This was the only one to have collapsed so thoroughly. Several other buildings had chunks from a wall missing, with scattered bricks around the ground, but they remained standing.

Thankfully, there was no one around to have been hurt, for Merlin was in the lower town. He was exceedingly glad that Arthur had gotten through to the king and convinced him to move the residents. Otherwise there would undoubtedly be many wounded now.

Merlin glanced back up towards the castle. One of the guards will undoubtedly have seen the debris, which meant that people would be coming soon to inspect the damage and make sure no one had been hurt. When that happened, Merlin would have a hard time explaining why he was in the abandoned lower city, alone, for no apparent reason. The paper tucked under his shirt, light as it was, felt like a guilty weight against his chest.

He pulled the paper out. It was a map of Camelot, one that Gaius had provided the previous evening when he'd returned home. With a piece of charcoal from his pocket, Merlin quickly marked the last segment of the mysterious line he'd been following onto the parchment, then returned to where he'd last left it off.

Quickly, Merlin continued on his way, following the line away from the scene that would undoubtedly drawn attention, making mental notes as he walked. It didn't take him long to return back to the still well-populated city sections. Every so often, he stepped into an unused alleyway or behind a building to pull out the map and charcoal again, carefully tracing his steps onto the map.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Oh. My. Goodness. SEASON THREE! EEK! EXCITEMENT! I shall say nothing, for I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but I cannot suppress my squeals of delight. /Squeal!/ Well, this fic doesn't quite**__**fit anymore, but oh well. I still love writing it. :)**

**Anyway, back to the story. Haha! Yes, Arthur was a bit of an idiot in that last chapter, wasn't he? I'm glad you guys enjoyed the floorboard scene as much as I did. Thank you guys sooo much for reviewing! I know I don't say this nearly often enough, but I really appreciate it. Anyway, enough babbling. You guys have waited long enough for this chapter (for which I sincerely apologize.) Onto the next chapter!**

Chapter Nine

"Take this ointment and apply it to the wound twice a day until it starts to scab," Gaius instructed the man beside him. "Change the bandages each time—tight enough to put pressure on the cut, but not so tight that you cut off the circulation." He tied the first bandage into place as he spoke. Delem—a carpenter—had been sawing a board of wood when the earthquake hit. That had resulted in a rather nasty cut across his left forearm. Luckily he had missed any major arteries.

"Thank you," Delem answered. He moved his arm experimentally when the physician had finished. He took the small bottle.

"When you run out, come and find me, I should have been able to make more by then." Gaius couldn't help the small note of annoyance in his voice, but he stood and moved on to the next victim of the earthquake as Delem's wife fussed over him. Really! Those blasted knights had some near impeccable timing, leaving Gaius with very little of his supplies in use at a time when needed them. The injuries today hadn't been too severe, but he had no doubt that unless these earthquakes were stopped, much worse would follow.

He had only begun to catalogue the damage done in his chambers when another servant came to fetch him to the western square.

The next wounded person was woman with a concussion. She'd fallen and hit her head on the kitchen table. He gave her a tonic for the pain. "I will bring you another tonic for the nausea, as soon as I am able to make some more," he promised. His stash of that particular potion had been rendered useless—mixed in a giant puddle on his floor. "Until then, stay off your feet. If you must go someone, have someone guide you—someone strong enough to catch you if you start to fall." She nodded, but quickly stopped at the throbbing it produced in her skull.

Gaius continued around the square, treating many such injuries. At long last, he was able to gather his things into his bag and begin the walk back to his chambers.

He was just outside his door when he spotted Merlin coming from the opposite end of the corridor.

"Gaius," he began, then he looked around cautiously, but he thought better of speaking out here. "Let's go inside," he suggested. He opened the door before Gaius could inform him that they would most likely have _more_ privacy _outside_ their chambers at that particular moment.

There was a moment of silence as Merlin watched the scene before him. "What happened?" he asked incredulously when he opened the door. Apparently the tarp had failed. Horrendously.

Gaius took in the scene as well. It looked remarkably better than it had before, but it was still rather disastrous. At least the puddle had been reduced in size, and the papers were all stacked on the table—though it didn't seem like any of the servants had taken heed as to what papers were actually supposed to go together. Several servants were hustling about the room—some with rags to clean the floor rest of the floor, or large bags to place the broken pottery into, others were gathering up a few more loose papers here and there. "Arthur is what happened," Gaius answered irritably as he strode in past his dumbfounded ward.

Merlin's eyes widened. So it wasn't the earthquake after all. Surely Arthur's hunt hadn't become so…elaborate. Had it? His chest clenched as he glanced towards his room. "Arthur?" he repeated, hoping he'd heard wrong.

"Yes. Those blasted knights of his pulled back the tarp to 'search' it just before the most powerful cursed earthquake yet hit." Merlin felt a small amount of relief wash over him. So the damage hadn't been intentional. Perhaps Arthur hadn't completely given himself over to the search yet. "Don't get your hopes up, though," Gaius added, to Merlin's confusion. "I already told these servants that the mess in your room has nothing to do with the earthquake. You get to clean that yourself."

Merlin glared at the physician—well, as much as he ever glared at anyone—but he understood the underlying message as well. Best not have anyone enter his rooms if they didn't have to—less chance of them finding anything that shouldn't be there.

Obediently, Merlin moved to his rooms. Gaius was right though, there appeared little difference between before the earthquake hit and now. The guilty floorboard, hiding his spell book, was still in place as well, which must mean that Arthur and his knights hadn't found it.

His eyes slid over the strewn sheets, the open cupboard, the few clothes he owned dumped carelessly over the floor, and sighed.

Cleaning the disaster in the main room was more important anyways, he told himself.

"What can I do?" he asked, returning to join the others.

He saw Gaius's knowing smile just before the physician turned to hide it. And so a long evening of work began.

Merlin wished the servants would just leave—then he could clean the room himself, and a lot more quickly. Though he knew exactly what Gaius would say if he tried. It was too risky to be performing _any_ sorcery at the moment.

Slowly, the room began to look a bit more like it did before. Whatever pots of Gaius's materials survived were replaced under the tarp once more and the tarp was re-secured. Papers were all gathered up once more, and semi-organized. The books that had gotten damaged from the puddle of muck lay out all over the floor to dry, while the ones still in tact had been replaced on the bookshelf. At long last, Gaius dismissed the servants, thanking them all for their help.

"So how bad is it?" Merlin asked, as Gaius glanced down at the record he'd been making.

"Bad. And unfortunately, a lot of what I'm missing now is what we will probably need over the next few days," he said with a heavy sigh. "Or weeks," he added quietly. He looked up from the paper. "Have you found anything more?" he asked.

Obediently, Merlin pulled the map from his tunic. "I don't know what to make of it," he admitted, opening it up and stretching it over the table. Gaius starred carefully at it. "Do you recognize it?"

"No," the physician answered, "but I don't know much of runes."

"Runes?" Merlin asked. He'd heard the word, but he was never entirely sure what they were. "That's what this is?"

"I don't know, but that's the only explanation I can think of." He stood and moved towards his bookshelf, then stopped, glancing at the many books that littered the floor. He closed his eyes, seeming to fight off irritation. Then crossed the rest of the way to the bookshelf. "I can only hope that book is still legible."

"What book?"

"I have a book that explains the meaning and purposes of most runes," Gaius explained. "I used to keep it right here," he indicated one of the higher shelves, "but now I've no idea where it is." He began thumbing along the books on the shelves.

Merlin looked down at the books around him. "_Siccus Recro," _he muttered.

The books all around the floor went frantic, flipping rapidly between pages as a slight steam rose from them before all slamming shut.

"Merlin!" Gaius scolded. "How many times must I tell you?"

Merlin shrugged. "There's no one here. And this way none of your books get ruined."

"And what if a servant were to return and notice that all the books that were _previously_ water damaged are now perfectly fine?"

Merlin shrugged. "Tell them…that you dried them out," he answered. "That's more or less true." Gaius let the argument drop. No use now.

"It has a worn, brown leather cover. Inside is page after page of runes with the explanations next to them," he informed the boy. Merlin began searching the now-restored books.

Some fifteen minutes later Gaius finally pulled a book from the shelf. "Not ruined after all." Merlin chose not to point out that none of the books were ruined anymore. The two of them sat down at the table as Gaius leafed through the pages, looking for anything that matched the symbol Merlin had traced. "This may take some time, Merlin. While I search through this, you can go get some herbs from the forest. I need to replace my inventory.

Merlin suppressed a groan. He'd rather stay. It had taken him a long time to wind through the city, he was anxious to see what this rune revealed. But Gaius was right. He would need more herbs to create the many potions and pastes he'd need to heal any future injuries, and there was no use having two of them hover over the same book. Gaius quickly pulled over a blank sheet of parchment and began jotting down various herbs and plants.

"Take the herb book from the lower left shelf," Gaius instructed. "I'd hate for you to bring me pieces from a poisonous berry bush on accident."

Will a roll of his eyes, Merlin grabbed the parchment, the designated book, a large basket, and he left.

Two hours and a basket full of herbs and roots later, Merlin returned to the chambers.

"Any luck?" he asked immediately, setting the basket down. Gaius was no longer hovering over the book, but instead was once more looking over the inventory list he had created. The physician heaved a sigh, "not exactly." He turned to the book once more and flipped it open to a specific page.

"Here," he said at last, pointing to the symbol he had selected. "This is the closest I've found. It was a lopsided near-circle with a line cutting through the bottom—an incomplete version of the rune he had discovered—if that's what it was.

"What does it mean?" Gaius indicated the passage next to the symbol. "_Humas, _earth," Merlin read. "This rune is most frequently used in connection with spells for enriched soil and fertile crops." Merlin frowned. "Well that's less than helpful, isn't it?"

"It's too similar to your rune to be a coincidence," Gaius pointed out.

Merlin sat down in front of the book. It was his turn. He glanced around—force of habit—and then held his hand over the book. As his eyes turned gold, the book flipped through the pages as the information it contained briefly passed through his mind. He wouldn't be able to remember any of it—but if something caught his attention he could stop and study it more thoroughly. Gaius frowned, but didn't say anything.

A moment later Merlin stopped on a page two thirds of the way into the book. He looked down the page. "Here," he said, pointing. Gaius peered over the page. "_Palpito._ Tremble." It was an X shape with a line down the center—the remainder of the underground rune. "The sorcerer must have found a way to combine the two."

Gaius frowned. "Earth-tremble."

"Sounds like an earthquake spell to me." Merlin stared blankly at the book. "How exactly do runes work?" he asked.

"As a conduit of sorts," Gaius explained. "With the proper runes, a spell can be focused to a specific purpose, and usually focused into a specific object. In the old days, I used to see fire-protection runes carved into wooden houses, and the like."

"So…these runes probably channel the spell directly into the ground under Camelot." Looks like they had found the anchor after all. But how on earth could a sorcerer carve a giant rune hundreds of feet under the earth? And more importantly, how on earth was Merlin supposed to destroy it?

**A/N: I am so terribly sorry for the wait. I had a bit of writer's block for a while. Well…not so much writer's block as it was writer's laziness that kept her from creative ideas. I'll try to be quicker with this next update. Hope you all are enjoying the story! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Ok, ok…so much for a quicker update. Sorry about that. Here's the next chapter! Good news is that the next chapter is already underway. I was thinking about putting the two together, but decided to split it into two and expand them instead.**

Chapter Ten

Merlin could only stand and stare for a long moment at the roaring fire in front of him.

Many people had already fled the area, though many had stayed to stare at the spectacle. Why wasn't anyone doing anything?

The stables were ablaze. Thankfully, there didn't appear to be anyone inside, but the horses inside were neighing in terror, as no one had been able to free them. That would be a gruesome death for them. They had served Camelot as loyally as any knight had, and everyone here was just standing around and starring.

Merlin hesitated only a moment, then ran headlong into the fire to free the animals, stripping his jacket off as he did. Many called for him to stop, but no one reached him in time to stop him.

The smoke was almost more than he could bear. Immediately his lung began to protest the abuse. Seeing was also difficult. The smoke blurred his vision and his eyes stung. And it was _hot._ He sprinted over to the stalls, jumping over a beam that had already fallen. The horses were screaming in terror, with too little room to escape their stalls. Merlin reached for the latch to the first stall door.

A cry escaped him and he yanked his hand back, shaking the pain out. Perhaps reaching blindly for a metal latch in the middle of a fire was a bad idea. He looked at his blistered palm. But what was to be done about it?

Neckerchief! He pulled his neckerchief from around his neck and wrapped it around his unburned hand, and tried again.

As the horse bolted, the door flung open forcefully, forcing Merlin to leap to the side to avoid being struck. He took a second for his heart to calm from nearly being trampled, then stall after stall he did the same.

He coughed violently as he reached to free the last frantic horse. As soon as the latch was undone, the horse careened past, flinging the door open.

Merlin wasn't quite quick enough this time, and the door slammed into him, knocking him backwards. He tried to regain his balance, but between the sharp pain in his stomach and his already hazy head from the smoke, he toppled backwards. His head struck the ground.

.~.

"Don't just stand there!" a familiar voice called out. "Everyone, grab whatever buckets you can find, form a line from the well. Pass water down the line to douse the fire!" Faces turned towards the commander briefly before rushing to do as told.

Arthur and the knights had arrived.

Soon water was being passed from hand to hand, steadily pouring on the fire, to little avail, however. Arthur watched the scene before him. There was no way they were going to be able to save the stables. The fire was too far-gone. It wouldn't be long before the stable simply collapsed. Their efforts were useless—as usual, he thought with frustration. Cursed earthquakes. This was the worst damage it had caused so far.

"Abandon the stables!" he called out instead. "They're lost. Pour water on the surrounding houses! Don't let the fire spread!"

The knights obeyed immediately, and many quickly followed suit, the line shifting direction from the well to the surrounding houses instead. But many more people looked uncertain, sorrowful, even.

"But sire, what of the boy?" one of the men asked.

Something cold gripped Arthur's heart as he suddenly realized he'd been missing a big part of the picture. "What boy?" he asked firmly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"The boy who's trapped inside," he answered. "He ran inside to free the horses. The horses came out, but he never did."

Damn it! Who could possibly be so foolish? He glanced back at the building as one of the roof beams fell. A rescue didn't seem possible at this point. Why did no one tell him this sooner? "Who?" he demanded.

Another voice offered the unwelcome information: "It was your servant, sire. The boy Merlin."

No.

No. No. Not Merlin. Horror hit Arthur hard, but he pushed it inside and let his anger build instead—an emotion far more familiar and therefore easier to deal with. That _idiot!_ He _would_ be the one to jump into a burning building to save some _animals._ What could he possibly have been thinking! Only Merlin would be idiot enough to just jump into a fire without a second thought!

Immediately, Arthur sprang into action. He grabbed a bucket of water that was being passed down the line from a woman and dumped the contents over his head. Once more, and then he ran into the burning stables.

"Sire!" Arthur ignored the knight's voice.

Merlin was not allowed to die—or so help Arthur, he would fire the boy on the spot!

The smoke was thick and heavy, forcing Arthur to stoop down under it to relieve his lungs. He called Merlin's name, but no response came. Another beam fell ten feet to his right, sending up an addition of sparks; instinctively he shielded his face. He worked his way further in, towards the stalls. Where was Merlin?

Small pieces of rubble fell on him, giving him just enough warning. Flinging himself to the side, Arthur rolled back onto his feet just as a large chunk of the ceiling collapsed where he'd been standing—successfully blocking his exit.

He swore. Worry about the exit later, he told himself. Right now, his task was to find that idiot servant of his.

That wasn't hard, Merlin was not twenty paces away from him. His heart picked up a beat at the sight of his friend lying motionless on the ground. Arthur slinked to his side, staying low to take in more clean air.

He was breathing, which was a great relief to Arthur. It look like he'd hit his head and gotten knocked out. "You idiot," he muttered. Scold him later. Now was time to get out.

Arthur looked back to the door he'd come through, hoping there was some way they'd be able to force their way through. But the doorway was completely blocked off and aflame now. The exit at the other end looked more promising, but it was also much farther away. They'd be lucky to make it without getting crushed by burning debris.

Not that the alternative—staying put—was an option.

"Come on, Merlin," he shifted his servant until he could pick him up, then threw him over his shoulder and started making his way towards the far door.

A small explosion made Arthur stumble and turn his face away to shield it from the sparks. A small groan from over his shoulder caught Arthur's attention. "Merlin?" he called. But there was still no response. The blasted boy was still unconscious.

A loud creaking noise over the roar of the fire announced the next support beam that fell over, half eaten away into coal and ash by now—the other half was still in full blaze. When it fell, along came another portion of the roof. Arthur glared at the pile of fire that now blocked his way again. Arthur swore again. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

Arthur spun around, but there were no other doors. Which meant the only way out was to dig through the pile. He set Merlin down as he looked around for an idea. He then spotted Merlin's left hand, wrapped in his handkerchief.

"Cloth," he muttered, looking around for anything that might work. He was still wearing his armor, so that wasn't an option. Armor that was quickly becoming a pile of very hot metal, he might add. "Sorry Merlin," he muttered as he pulled out his knife. "I'll buy you a new shirt later." He cut through his shirt from the neck to the waste, then again to pull off a large strip. A third cut pulled away a second strip for him to use.

Arthur froze. Despite the heat of the fire, his body went cold.

There was a patch of scarred tissue on the center of Merlin's chest, about the size of a fist.

Images flew into Arthur's head, as if they were happening right at that moment, as if in slow motion. Emrys stood from freeing his tied hands, turning slightly to look around the clearing. Arthur's eyes migrated to his charred chest, burned from the previous magical attack.

Arthur pulled mind back to the present, starring at _Merlin._ Who was lying here, unconscious, in the middle of a fire. With a scar on his chest.

Now was not the time.

With a _scar_ on his chest.

Later, Arthur! He scolded himself. He wrapped his hands in the cloth strips and made to work on the pile blocking their way.

Another sudden burst of fire and sparks just to his left made the beam he was attempting to move shift back into the same position he'd just moved it from.

He glanced to the explosion's source and saw a wonderful sight: multiple holes in the charred stable wall. The wall had been weakened to the point of its disintegrating. It looked weak enough to break through. Quickly, he once more threw Merlin over his shoulder, backed up, and took a running start straight at the wall.

It hurt. A lot. But the wall gave way and the two of them came tumbling through to the other side.

A crackling noise made him look up again just as the rest of the wall fell down, followed very quickly by the roof. Arthur took a deep breath of clean air—which only succeeded in making him cough. But they were out and alive, that's all that mattered.

He glanced at Merlin. Where he'd fallen, his scar was still quite visible.

Arthur shook his head ever so slightly. He was jumping to conclusions. There was an explanation, he was sure. There had to be.

"Sire, are you all right?" He looked up and saw Leon standing over him, offering him a hand. Arthur let the knight haul him to his feet.

"Fine," he answered. He pulled the cloth off his hands and discarded them. "Merlin got knocked out, I'm going to take him to Gaius. Stay here and take charge. Don't let the fire spread."

"Yes, Sire. But the fire's already started spreading. I'm not sure if we'll be able to contain it."

Arthur looked back. Sure enough, Leon was right.

Merlin stirred, and Arthur thought he heard Merlin mumble something, but just then an unexpected boom of thunder filled the air rain began to pour suddenly.

There had been no clouds a moment ago—Arthur was sure of it. This rain had come from _nowhere._

The two knights stood in the rain for a long moment.

"Well that was a stroke of luck, wasn't it?" Leon asked.

"Ya…" Arthur's eyes flickered to Merlin. Then he picked Merlin up again and headed to Gaius's chambers.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll update as soon as I can.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: *****Gasp!* Two updates in one week! Hope this makes up for my previous lack. **

**Wow! I posted the last chapter, and the next time I check my e-mail I had thirty new reviews! You are all so amazing. Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter so much, and I hope you enjoy this one even more! (I know I had a blast writing it.) Enjoy!**

Chapter Eleven

Merlin woke up coughing. Someone held a cup to his lips and he drank deeply from the cold water, cooling his parched throat. It only partly relieved his coughing, though.

"You gave us quite a scare, you know."

Merlin opened his eyes and found Gaius was the one with the cup. The physician stood up and crossed to the table. He returned with two small vials. "Here. This one for your head, this one for your lungs."

Merlin didn't argue. Both felt like they were on fire. When he reached to take the vials he discovered his right hand was bandaged. He downed both potions in a single gulp each, ignoring their bitter taste, and washed them down with more water.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You were your idiot self," Gaius responded simply. "What do you remember?"

Merlin thought back, making his head hurt worse. It was too hot. "Fire," he said quietly. "There was a fire." Then his eyes widened. "The horses! I tried—" a coughing fit overcame him again.

Gaius offered him another drink of water. "You freed them all, don't worry. Why you chose to endanger yourself over some animals is beyond me, but I suppose by now I should know better than to be surprised."

"They would have died," Merlin protested. "I couldn't just let that happen."

"_You_ could have died," Gaius argued. "If it wasn't for Arthur, you'd be dead by now."

"Arthur?" Merlin asked in surprise. Then his brain swirled. "He was in the fire…"

Gaius nodded. "Someone told him you'd rushed in to save the horses and never came out. He ran in after you."

Merlin nodded. "The last horse knocked me over. I must have hit my head, because I don't remember much after that."

"But you remember Arthur?"

"Vaguely…" Then his eyes widened again. "I think…Gaius I think I did magic."

Gaius was silent for a moment. "Did he see you?"

"I don't know!" Merlin almost shouted in panic. "I wasn't really even conscious."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time you performed magic while unconscious," Gaius pointed out.

"Not helping," Merlin answered bitterly, beginning to panic now. "What did he say?"

"Nothing about that. He brought you here, then went back to help maintain the fire. It shouldn't take long for it to be put out, though. A massive rainstorm hit not long ago."

"Rain…" Merlin said slowly. Then he nodded slowly. "That was it."

"Merlin?"

"That's the magic I did. I brought the storm."

Gaius stared at him for a long moment. "And, why didn't you do that _before_ you ran into the fire?" he asked incredulously.

Merlin shrugged sheepishly. But his brow creased in worry. "What if Arthur saw me?"

Gaius didn't answer at first. Then he sighed heavily. "Whether he did or not, I fear you will still have quite a bit of explaining to do."

Merlin didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?" He almost didn't want to hear the answer.

Gaius paused again, not wanting to say it either. "The one thing Arthur did say, was that he owed you a new shirt." It was then that Merlin realized his torso was bare. At first he didn't realize the significance of this. Then Gaius tossed him his shirt. It was stripped down the center—looking more like a light-weight jacket now than a shirt. "Arthur said he needed cloth to protect his hands. He was wearing his armor, so he used yours."

Suddenly Merlin froze as realization hit him. "The scar."

"We don't know if he noticed," Gaius pointed out. "He certainly didn't say anything about it."

"Well he wouldn't, would he?" Merlin pointed out, growing panic having arrived full force. "He doesn't know that you know about 'Emrys.'"

"Well, you should come up with an explanation in any case."

"Or I could run!" Merlin pointed out. He threw the blanket aside and stood up. Immediately his head started spinning, forcing him to sit back down hard.

"Merlin, Arthur might not have realized the significance, so you might not have anything to worry about."

"Or he could be going to Uther right now!"

"Merlin, calm down," Gaius sat next to his ward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Arthur's in town right now, helping the earthquake victims. I'm on my way down their now, as a matter of fact. And Merlin, even if he _does_ know, you have no reason to think he'll turn you in. He's know about Emrys for months now and hasn't reported him."

Merlin took a deep breath—or tried to, until he started coughing again. Finally he got his breath back. "You're right," he said at last. "No reason to panic yet."

"Have a little faith, Merlin."

.~.

The rain was unrelenting. Even after the fire was doused, it kept pouring. The smoke from the remains of the stables, as well as two bordering houses, was still rising into the sky, but the rain was beating even the smoke down.

And all of this from a single tipped lantern in the last earthquake. Who could know what damage the future ones would bring...

Thankfully nobody but Merlin had been hurt during the fire, but there were other victims, similar to the last earthquake, only more. The knights had put up a large tarp to keep off the rain and moved all the victims together. Gaius had just arrived and was working his way among the victims. He glanced over at the prince, observing him, wondering what he knew and what he would do about it. Then he ducked his head back to his current patient when Arthur caught his eye and began moving towards him.

"How is he?" Arthur asked when he was near enough.

"He'll be all right, just barely." Arthur swallowed a lump in his throat. Surely Merlin hadn't been that severely injured! "He just missed the vital artery in his leg. He was very lucky."

"Wh—Oh." He was talking about the man he was treating now, not Merlin. "Glad to hear he's all right," Arthur answered hurriedly, not wanting to look like a fool. He looked upon the unconscious man's face for a moment, forcing himself to wait to ask his real question again, less he appear too anxious. "What of Merlin?" he asked after a moment. "Will he be all right?"

Gaius looked up at him with a smile. Arthur thought it looked a little bit forced. "He will be," was the answer. "Thanks to you, Sire. There are not many noblemen who would risk their lives to save a mere servant. For that, I thank you with all my heart." With that, Gaius moved on to the next patient. Arthur felt slightly awkward at the praise, but couldn't help but be put out a little by the lack of details. He would just have to be happy with the knowledge that Merlin was safe.

Emrys.

No. It wasn't possible. It just wasn't. There had to be an explanation, he was sure of it.

But no matter what he did, no matter what he told himself, Arthur could not get the image of that scar out of his head.

There _had_ to be an explanation. The idea that _Merlin…_it was just too preposterous to even let the full thought cross his mind.

He should just ask Merlin about it. That was it. He would march right into the boy's room and demand an answer!

But if it _was_ Merlin, there was no way the boy would admit to it.

And if it _wasn't_ Merlin, then he'd just look like a bigger idiot than Merlin himself.

And it could _not_ be Merlin. There were plenty of ways someone could get a burn. On the exact center of their chest. The size of a fist. Plenty of ways...In any case, the idiot was certainly clumsy enough for any of any of those plenty of ways to have happened. Arthur...just had to keep that in mind. That was it.

He was just getting anxious, that was all. It had been three months since he'd met Emrys, and still there was no clue as to the sorcerer's true identity. Arthur _knew_ he'd already become ridiculous in his mental interrogations of everyone. He'd just added Merlin to the list—a solid piece of evidence for his insanity. Merlin could _not_ be Emrys. It was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous! He'd known that from the very moment he started pondering his mysterious benefactor's identity. He'd always known it couldn't be Melrin. And now one stupid scar was turning all his certainty upsidedown? No. Arthur wasn't that desperate to find out the truth. He wouldn't go jumping to such idiotic conclusions.

It was _not_ Merlin.

It couldn't be...

He needed to know what that scar was from. There was no other way to put his mind at rest.

.~.

Arthur did not allow himself to check up on Merlin that evening. Instead, he retired to his chambers after the fiasco in town was dealt with. Gaius was more than capable of taking care of Merlin, and Arthur didn't really want to face him. Not yet. Not until he knew how to ask the question most plaguing him.

Unfortunately for him, he was still undecided on how to breech the subject when the boy in question came slamming clumsily through the door with breakfast. Late—as usual, he might add.

"Good morning, Sire," Merlin chimed, seeing his master was already awake. "I brought you breakfast."

"I can see that," Arthur replied automatically. He was about to comment on his servant's clumsiness as well when he saw his bandaged hand. "How did you carry all this with one hand?" he asked in spite of himself.

Merlin grinned at his accomplishment, then simply shrugged. "It's actually not that hard," he admitted. "Most of the weight goes on my arm." Arthur sat down in front of the food and took a bite out of the sausage. "It's not as bad as the burn on my chest, anyway." The sausage in his mouth suddenly went shooting across the room. Arthur hardly even noticed, he was too in shock that Merlin had actually brought it up before he did.

"Burn on your chest?" he asked casually. He watched Merlin carefully, who had adapted a rather odd look of confusion on his face at the prince's behavior.

"Ya. A stupid piece of coal got stuck in my shirt when I took my neckerchief off," Merlin informed him with a lopsided grin, mocking his own clumsiness. "Let me tell you, that _hurt._ But it's all right now. Gaius gave me some sort of salve to put on it, as well as my hand."

Arthur leaned into the back of his chair, utterly dumbfounded.

"Thank you, Arthur," Merlin added sincerely. "For coming in after me."

Arthur remained sitting there for a long moment, the same dumbfounded look on his face. Then he began to laugh. And he kept laughing. He couldn't bring himself to stop!

"A piece of coal got stuck in your shirt!" he nearly shouted, as though this was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. And indeed, at that moment, it surely felt like it. His eyes began leaking with mirth.

"Glad to see you find amusement in my suffering, my lord," Merlin put in. The look of utter bewilderment on his face only added to Arthur's hilarity.

"Of course!" Was all Arthur said. How could he have been so _stupid? _They'd been in a _fire! _ Of course Merlin could easily have gotten burned! "To think I almost thought..." but he couldn't complete the sentence, for it was too hysterical to utter aloud and he only succeeded in erupting in further laughter, clutching his aching side in a most undignified way.

"Ok..." Merlin said slowly. But even that simple word made Arthur double over in increased laughter. "Well, I think I'll go get your laundry," Merlin informed his hysterical master as he picked up a basket from the corner and left the room.

Arthur let him go. He was too relieved even to tease or insult the boy this morning. His frantic laughter continued for some time after Merlin had left. At last it subsided into a normal human being's level of amusement at an utterly ludicrous idea.

Merlin as Emrys. HA!

**A/N: Haha! I fooled you! :D I'm an evil tease, I know. Props to the few of you who realized the revelation wasn't quite complete! Thanks again SO much for the reviews everyone! I really appreciate all your support through this project. I'll update again as soon as I'm able. Warning though: I have a hectic week coming up. But I'll find some writing time. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Merlin closed the door behind him and leaned against it, feeling physically weak with relief. He could still hear Arthur's hysterical laughter from the other side. Actually, Merlin had mixed feelings about how that had gone. What was so ridiculous about him being Emrys? he wondered indignantly. Arthur was the real idiot…

But no matter. Despite his indignation, Merlin was still very much relieved. His secret was safe for another day at least.

He was now exceedingly glad he'd chosen to bring the topic up. He'd been half afraid that Arthur _hadn't_ noticed anything, and him bringing it up would spark thoughts that hadn't even been brewing. But now he knew that Arthur most certainly _had _noticed. Good thing he was a gullible prat.

He took a moment for his heart to stop pounding. It had taken every ounce of his self control to mention his scar with a straight face, rather than the suspicious, terrified half-glance that would have felt so much more natural. But apparently his act of confusion and bewilderment had been successful. He closed his eyes and let out a large sigh.

"Merlin?" Merlin nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Gwen!" He stood up away from the door. "What are you doing up here?"

"I brought Arthur's laundry," she informed him. If he'd been paying even half attention he would have realized she was carrying a giant basket of the clothes he was supposed to be going to get. "I wasn't sure how soon you'd be up and about after yesterday, and I had some spare time, so I thought I would help out."

Merlin smiled genuinely—the first genuine smile he'd given since he'd woken up to panic-worthy news yesterday. "Thank you," he said. "But I'm feeling much better already. Here," he took the basket off her hands and slipped it inside his own empty basket. Then his eyes flickered back to Arthur's door. "Um…"

"What's going on in there, anyway?" she asked with a laugh, pointing to the door. Arthur could still be heard in his laughing fit.

"Well…Arthur, hm. He's had a bit of strange morning, you could say. And…" he grinned guiltily. "Actually, getting the laundry was my excuse to get away, so I think I won't deliver this quite yet." Gwen laughed as Merlin walked next door to an unused guest room, slipping the laundry basket inside. No one would notice it in there for several days at least, and he certainly wouldn't leave it there that long. "Where are you off to now, my lady?"

Gwen smiled at the title. "Merlin, you know I'm not a lady."

"No, but you will be one day." Gwen blushed almost instantly, knowing exactly what he meant.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered automatically. Merlin repressed the urge to roll his own eyes and settled for grinning like a loony.

"All right, where are you off to now, Guinevere?" he asked instead, choosing not to pursue the subject.

"To the kitchens. They're probably about to start making lunch by now, and they can always use an extra hand."

Merlin still felt a twinge in his stomach every time he remembered Gwen was now forced to work odd-jobs around the castle. It was just another reminder that Morgana was gone, and of what he had done. At least Arthur had been able to ensure Gwen's job remained secure.

Pushing the unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind, for probably the millionth time, Merlin instead fell into step beside her. "I'm going back to Gaius' for a time, so I'll walk with you."

They walked in pleasant silence for a moment, then Merlin was surprised when Gwen suddenly flung her arms around him in a tight, though brief, hug.

"I'm so glad you're all right," she said when she had released him. "When I heard it was you who got trapped in the stables…How are you?"

Merlin couldn't help but laugh at himself as they began walking again. "Ya, that wasn't my brightest moment," he admitted. "I'm much better now though, thanks to Arthur."

"You're still hurt, though," she indicated his hand.

"Ya, and my head still smarts a bit, too. But Gaius has me taking all manner of potions and salves and pastes and whatever else he can think of." He stopped and put a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "I really am fine," he promised.

She smiled again. "If you're sure. But if there's anything you need…"

"I'll know who to ask," he finished for her.

They'd reached their parting ways, so Gwen veered off to head to the kitchens while Merlin stalked off in the opposite direction.

He sincerely hoped Gwen would be Queen someday.

List of duties: Keep Arthur alive and get him to the throne, keep Camelot unconquered, keep Arthur from being a prat, keep Arthur alive some more, not-so-subtly shove Arthur and Gwen together, bring magic back to the kingdom…yup. His list just keeps getting longer.

Not to mention stop those blasted earthquakes, he added with a silent curse.

Still, he strode into Gaius' chambers fairly happily.

"I take it your chat with Arthur went well?" Gaius asked when he saw his ward's smile.

"Perfectly!" Merlin informed him. Gaius' shoulders slumped in visible relief. "Though I have to ask, what's so absolutely hysterical about the idea I might be Emrys?"

Gaius laughed. "Well, you don't exactly scream all-powerful magical being."

Merlin shrugged. Then his smile faded. "How are the victims?"

Gaius let out a long sigh. "We had one fatality," he said sadly. Merlin's heart dropped. "When one of the buildings collapsed, a man was struck in the head with a stone. He died instantly, but we didn't find him for some time. And we had many more close calls, too. I'm getting worried, Merlin." Merlin was too. This was the first death the earthquakes had brought. But the troubles weren't over yet. Gaisu pulled out a sheet of paper and laid it out on the table. "Look at this."

Merlin crossed the room to examine it. It had days and times written across it, under which were shadings, each of which was longer than the previous. "What is it?" he asked.

"The earthquakes," Gaius answered heavily. "Based on the ones we've had up to now, I've made this. In theory, this is a basic outline of when the next ones will occur, and how long they will last."

Merlin swallowed hard. "The next one's not even a day from now?" He hoped so much he was reading this wrong.

"If they continue to progress as they have, then yes."

This was bad. According to this chart, within just a few days, there would be barely any time between the quakes.

"This could be good," Gaius pointed out. "If this proves accurate, then we can warn the people. We should be able to avoid any injuries like these last few. But if the earthquakes keep getting worse as well…"

"There won't be a house standing by the end of the week," Merlin finished.

"And who knows about the castle."

Which left Merlin with a choice to make. He had spells for this. He could go throughout the city and stabilize the buildings. He could save people's homes, and perhaps lives. Or…or he could devote his time to figuring out how to destroy this cursed anchor. If the first, there was no guarantee how long his spells would be effective. If the second, there was no guarantee that he _could_ destroy the anchor, and homes could be lost in the process.

Then again, if he couldn't destroy the rune, then eventually the earthquakes would destroy everything anyways.

Merlin nodded, coming to a decision. "All right." He made to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Library," was all he answered.

.~.

Arthur looked out over the damaged city from the wall. The rain had at last stopped pouring. The smell of wet, burnt wood and hay still hung over the city. The stable was not the only building to collapse, though it was the only one to collapse due to the fire. Two houses nearby had caught fire, but the rain had doused them before the worst damage had set in. Multiple buildings in the lower town had been demolished, leaving Arthur very relieved that they had moved the residents.

That being said, the damage was still great. One man had already died, and many families had lost their homes. And Arthur fully expected fatalities to rise soon, unless these earthquakes were stopped.

Emrys, where are you? Arthur couldn't help but wonder. If you're really here to protect Camelot, if you're really an ally, why are you letting this happen?

Perhaps it was an unfair question—after all, Arthur was quite loyal to Camelot, and he certainly didn't have a way to stop this. But Emrys was a _sorcerer_. Why didn't he do something?

Arthur's mirth at even considering Merlin as Emrys had faded hours ago. Now he simply blamed such silly notions on the adrenaline rush from the fire. Had he been thinking clearly, he would have realized what an idiot he had been. But the faded mirth left a hollow feeling to him as he stared out over the damage. He looked to the sky, where the clouds still hung, quite innocently.

When the rain came, it had been so convenient, so sudden, that Arthur had been almost positive it was magic. Now he wasn't so sure. If the rain had been summoned, wouldn't the clouds have disappeared with the storm? But they lingered. Maybe it had just been a natural, sudden rainstorm.

He was so confused. And he couldn't help but wonder…

He shook the thought out of his head again. He had no reason to doubt Emrys. Not really.

Arthur had made himself scarce as soon as all the wounded had been accounted for and were in the capable hands of Gaius. He knew that if he stuck around, someone would "remind" him that he and the knights should be resuming the search for the sorcerer that had gotten interrupted. Arthur didn't want to search. He really didn't know what to think anymore. And as long as he just stood here, looking out over the city, he didn't have to think.

Except like it or not, people were getting hurt, and were going to start dying. Useless as a search was—uncertain as he was—there was nothing else he could do for his people. At the very least, he could give them the illusion that he and the knights were making progress in halting these quakes.

.~.

Merlin had often found it odd that the library had so many books about magic: curses, magical creatures, and runes (he hoped.) For a kingdom so dead set against anything magical, they sure kept an awful lot of books around on the subject. He supposed that since none of them actually outlined how to _use_ the magic, they had been deemed acceptable to keep, in order to thwart magical enemies at some point, no doubt.

Nevertheless, Merlin couldn't help think it somehow ironic.

He looked at the massive amount of shelves in front of him quite sullenly. He couldn't exactly ask Geoffrey of Monmouth where the books on thwarting runes were kept.

He glanced around nervously, but the old man was nowhere to be seen. Most likely he was still in the west wing, where he'd been heading when Merlin showed up. He smiled slightly. He'd been waiting to try this spell.

He focused on the rune in his head. _"Petequena," _he whispered.

Nothing happened. Of _course_ nothing happened. Nothing _ever_ happened the first time. How annoying.

"_Petequena," _he whispered again. Still nothing, to Merlin's irritation. This spell wasn't that advanced! It was just a simple little seeking spell. Though it was intended to find lost items, it should work for book subjects just as well, in theory.

Though the rune he was picturing wasn't technically a rune, Merlin had to admit. It was a twisted combination of two different ones. Maybe he'd have better luck seeking for the individuals. What had they looked like?

Picturing what he was pretty sure was the earth rune, Merlin repeated the spell once more.

A faint blue light whipped around a corner, visible only to his eyes. He followed it. Eventually, it brought him to a large bookshelf, where the light abruptly ended and left _dozens_ of books pulsing blue.

Merlin stared blankly at the vast amount of reading before him, before letting out a long sigh and pulling a book at random off the shelf. This was going to be a long night.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Ok, I just want to let all you reviewers know that you **_**rock!**_** This is officially my most popular fic ever written! (And that makes me so excited!) So thank you all so much for sticking with me! (No, this is not a "the end" speech. We've still got a bit to go, so no worries. :D )**

Chapter Thirteen

Merlin found very little of help that night, but he had only been able to search half the books before he'd been forced to leave. Geoffrey had made his way to that section of the library to do some filing and Merlin did not want to be caught researching magical runes. He returned to Gaius—tired, frustrated, and all around grumpy, and with very little time before he'd have to go serve his royal pratness.

Gaius, as usual, was already awake, putting together the last of his potions for his daily rounds. "No luck?" Gaius asked as he walked straight up into his room.

"No." Merlin glowered, stripping off his shirt and putting on a fresh one. "All I found out is that to combine various runes into a single one you need an anchor." He fought back a large yawn at the end of his sentence.

"Another one?" Gaius asked, looking up from his work momentarily.

"An anchor for the anchor. Go figure."

"Yes. But there's _nothing_ about putting something like this so far underground, or how to fix it. It's practically untouchable!"

"Nothing to suggest how to remove it?"

Merlin sat down and bit into the apple that was waiting for him. "None. I'm going to go back tonight and look through the rest of the books."

Gaius looked up again, sternly this time. "Merlin, how do you expect to stay up _another_ night without sleep?"

"I'll make it work," he answered. Gaius gave him a stern look—which he promptly ignored. Instead, he crossed over to the bookshelf and pulled out a large volume. Tucked inside was his map of the rune. He unfolded it on the table again and tapped a section with his finger.

"What is it?"

"Do we have any maps of the inside of the castle?" he asked. The castle was on this map, yes, but the details were very limited.

"I don't think…wait. Yes, I believe I do." It took several moments of searching through a pile of disorganized papers, but at last Gaius produced what Merlin was hoping for and spread it out before them. He didn't repeat his question, he just let Merlin stare over it, comparing the two.

"Here," he said at last, tapping the new map. "The two runes intersect here." Gaius looked over his shoulder. Indeed. While the two runes lay atop each other, they only connected at a single point. "The anchor will be somewhere below the throne room, I'd stake my life on it."

"Well that's exactly what you'll be doing if you're caught in there," Gaius pointed out.

Merlin frowned. "I don't suppose any of the dungeons happen to be under it?"

"I'm afraid not. The dungeons are all over here," he indicated the western part of the castle. "But there's a number of corridors that run over the same area on the different floors."

Merlin shook his head. "No, too much risk that someone will walk by. No one is ever in the throne room unless Uther is there, so there's less chance of being interrupted."

"Uther's who I'm afraid of," Gaius pointed out. "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid until we actually figure out a way to destroy it."

.~.

The next earthquake hit late that morning, throwing Gaius's projected time frame off already, as he'd predicted the next quake to hit sometime that evening.

Three people died. Three of Arthur's people.

"Arthur, are you all right?"

Arthur didn't turn around, but continued staring out the window at the destruction below. Destruction that he could do nothing to fix. Further destruction he could do nothing to stop.

"A sorcerer is doing this," he said quietly.

Gwen shifted nervously. "I'd heard rumors. It's true then?"

Arthur closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the glass. "Guinevere, I may have made a terrible mistake."

"You can't blame yourself for this!" she protested, rushing forward until she stood right next to him. "You can't fight earthquakes, especially not if they're caused by magic!"

Arthur clenched his jaw. How he longed to say it. But to say it, to give voice to his doubts, would be to give them a solidity that even now he convinced himself against. But if he was right? If this suspicion was true and he said nothing? What a coward that would make him. Too cowardly to admit his mistake, too cowardly to face it. He had to face it.

"I…may know who's causing this."

Gwen's eyes opened wide. "You do?"

"I don't know!" he turned from the window and ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "He…he saved my life, and apparently has done so before. So I agreed not to turn him in. But…"

"You let a sorcerer live?" Gwen asked, shocked.

"He saved my life!" Arthur repeated, not sure if he was justifying Emrys, or himself. "He said…he said he'd die before he let anything happen to me. Said it was his destiny to protect me."

Gwen was silent for a moment at this news. Arthur was almost afraid to look at her. What would he see? Disgust that he'd let a sorcerer live? Disappointment in his wavering faith? Shame in his inability to do anything? "But you think he's the one doing this now?" she said at last. "You think he's betrayed you?" He could not determine any form or disappointment in her voice, so he dared to look at her.

"But it doesn't make any _sense!"_ Arthur protested, almost pleading with her to make some sort of sense of this. "Why would Emrys protect me, why would he save my life so many times if he was planning to destroy Camelot all along?" Gwen opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off. "Maybe…maybe he _does_ want to put me on the throne. Maybe he's doing this to remove my father, to make me king that much sooner." Arthur shook his head slightly. "But…but Candun said that Emrys has saved my father, too."

"Candun?"

Arthur sighed. "The sorcerer who abducted me three months ago."

"The one you killed?"

"Yes. Except, I didn't kill him. I told my father I did, but really it was Emrys. He…split the earth open and swallowed him in it." He closed his eyes. "The ground shook, so much."

"Like these earthquakes?" Arthur nodded silently, as the real cause for all his doubt was finally laid bare. Uther had commented in fear, what sorcerer would be strong enough to shake the earth? But Arthur knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Emrys was strong enough. "Arthur, if you really believe this sorcerer is the cause of this, why don't you tell your father?" There was no condemnation in her voice, just a simple question. "You could find Emrys and stop him."

"I don't know how to find him," Arthur told her. "Emrys is an alias. Or maybe his identity in the castle is the alias, I don't know. All I know is that he lives in the castle somewhere, I don't know who he is."

"But you could search for him. With the knights you'd find him in no time."

Arthur shook his head. "We've been searching and haven't found anything."

"But you haven't told the others what to look for," she pointed out.

"No…But," Arthur added quietly, "if I'm wrong…If he's not the one doing this…"

"Then you'll have betrayed him for nothing," she finished. Arthur nodded slightly. Gwen watched him closely as he wrestled with his thoughts. When it became obvious he wasn't going to give an answer, she answered for him. "You don't believe it's him," she said firmly.

Arthur looked up at her again. "And just how do you know that?" he asked incredulously. _He_ wasn't even sure what he thought.

"Because I know you," she put a hand on his shoulder, leaning in is as though to make him listen to her. "If you had even the smallest doubt, you'd have turned him in ages ago. You've always been so set against sorcery. For you to trust Emrys means you must have really seen something in him." Arthur looked away, contemplating her words. "And I trust you, Arthur." He looked up at her again. "If Emrys has earned your trust, then I trust him too."

"But what if I was wrong?"

"Trust yourself, Arthur," Gwen told him. "Trust yourself as I do. Emrys is not the one doing this."

Arthur turned her words over in his head for a long moment. Then, for the first time in a while, he smiled. A weight lifted from his shoulders and he pulled Gwen into an embrace, holding her tight. "Thank you, Guinivere." For the firs time in months, his mind was truly at peace.

Then another earthquake hit, and his peace shattered, though for an entirely different reason. His resolve remained firm. He resolved to have faith.

.~.

This was a stupid idea. But when did that ever stop Merlin before? He was going to go straight into that throne room and shatter the anchor by pure force. How? He wasn't entirely sure. He would figure that out when he got there.

Four people. Four people had died already, and that didn't count however many unknown victims this last one had caused. More would come. Well, not if Merlin had anything to say about that.

He'd been in the library again when the most recent earthquake hit. It wasn't even evening. Two earthquakes in less time that Gaius had predicted for one. He'd nearly been crushed by a bookshelf. However, one good thing had come from his second study session. On a whim, he'd switched tactics and looked up magical anchors instead of runes.

Looking around rather guiltily, Merlin approached the throne room. He'd have a hard time explaining his presence away if anyone saw him enter. But luck was on his side, and no one was around. The throne room was empty, meaning there was no need for anyone to be in this part of the castle at the moment.

The hall was empty and eerily silent without its usual activity. Merlin strode forward. Somehow, he wasn't sure how, he knew that the anchor would be directly below the throne. Right underneath the feet of the king. Nervously, he sat down on the throne.

Wow this was a weird feeling.

He cast his awareness into the earth below. Sure enough, he could feel a hot ball of energy directly below him: the focal point of the spell.

There had to be something more tangible though. An anchor had to act as a conduit for the energy placed in the rune. Simply forming the energy into a concentrated ball wouldn't do that.

He reached under the throne, and his hands closed around something rough attached under the seat. It only took a moment to pry it loose and pull it out.

It was a frosty-white colored crystal. As he held it in his fist, it pulsed, reacting to the magic in his veins. How could something so small cause so much trouble?

Now the difficult part: how to destroy it? Maybe he would get lucky and simply blasting it would work. He doubted it.

He stepped forward and placed it on the ground, then backed away again, holding his hand out towards it. "_Attero."_

A red light blasted from his fingertips and struck the crystal. But instead of destroying it, it simply sent it flying up into the air. A moment later it came back down, bouncing against the ground. Merlin frowned.

"_Rumputo,_" he said instead, hoping to shatter the crystal rather than make it explode. It simply shot into the air again, coming down hard several feet away. He winced at the sound that rang through the room, hoping no one had heard anything. If they did, he would have a lot of explaining to do. He retrieved the crystal and returned to his seat, turning it over in his hands as he pondered his options. He opted for an entirely different approach.

He didn't say a spell this time. Instead he pulled on his store of raw power, focusing on the crystal. His hands clenched around it. The crystal grew hot. The burn on his right hand, which was still bandaged, protested its agitation, but Merlin continued to force his power into the crystal. He closed his eyes, letting the energy well up inside him for a moment, then _shoved_ the power into the crystal in a tidal wave of magic.

Something snapped.

Feeling slightly out of breath, Merlin opened his eyes. There was a large crack down the center of the crystal's face. Merlin waited, feeling for the crystal's power, but no pulse came. Trying not to celebrate just yet, Merlin cast his awareness down again.

He felt only the last traces of an enchantment, and soon it faded into nothing.

Wow, he thought in amazement. It actually worked.

It actually _worked!_ The rune was gone.

Merlin sat back in the throne as relief poured through him. A nervous laugh of amazement escaped his lips.

Suddenly the door to the throne room opened, and there stood Arthur, who stopped in surprise at the sight of his manservant there. He stared for a long moment before speaking.

"Merlin…_What_ are you doing?"

Merlin suddenly realized he was still sitting on the throne. In the previously empty throne room. For no apparent reason.

"Um…"

Arthur strode in, allowing the doors to close behind him. Then he looked at the crystal in Merlin's hands with a raised eyebrow. Merlin just then realized he was still clutching it.

This was bad, but still salvageable, Merlin decided. All he had to do was play his idiot self, as usual. He stood up and stepped away from the throne.

"Emrys contacted me," he invented. Arthur's eyes widened at the unexpected information. "He told me the source of the earthquakes was in the throne room, and that he'd destroyed it." Merlin handed the cracked crystal over. "I came to see if it was true." Arthur gave him a skeptical look. "What? I was curious!" Merlin defended.

Arthur took the crystal, staring at it in bewilderment. "This?"

Merlin shrugged. "Apparently."

"Why did Emrys contact _you_ of all people?"

"Uh…how should I know? Though apparently he figured out I've been looking for him," Merlin added on a whim. Maybe he could use that little fabrication for an entirely different diversion.

Arthur continued to stare at Merlin like he had two heads. Merlin prayed to anyone listening that Arthur would swallow the tale. He didn't have a backup plan.

"So that's it?" Arthur asked. "The earthquakes will just…stop? Just like that?"

"Unfortunately yes," an unfamiliar voice rang out. Arthur and Merlin both turned towards the woman who had spoken. "Aren't you boys clever to have figured it out?"

7


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm really glad you guys liked the last chapter so much! I actually wrote the Gwen/Arthur scene a **_**long**_** time ago and have been anxiously awaiting the moment I could use it. Yay!**

**By the way, I just discovered something new: POLLS! :) So I now have a poll up on my profile asking which of my one-shot ideas I should write next. Tell me what you think? Thanks so much!**

Chapter 14

Arthur took a small step in front of Merlin.

"Who are you?" He demanded. The woman had long red hair that fell in waves down to her waist. She was small, looking almost delicate. Her brown eyes were set deep into her face, giving them a shadowed look. All in all, she did not look very intimidating. However, Arthur knew from experience that appearances could be deceiving. And she did seem rather annoyed.

"I'm Anye," she stated with a soft smile. "And that's my crystal that you have there."

Now Arthur really wished he had his sword with him. "You're the sorceress responsible for these earthquakes?" he asked as calmly as he could manage.

Her smile didn't twitch. "I am."

Arthur could barely contain his anger. But rushing in, unarmed, against a sorceress would be a really stupid thing to do. "People _died_ because of you. Innocent people!"

"Yes, I do feel badly about that." She didn't look too perturbed, though a small crease did appear in her forehead. "An unfortunate but necessary sacrifice in dealing with you and your father."

Arthur lunged at her, just as Merlin cried out for him to stop. As predicted, that turned out to be a rather stupid idea. He collided with some invisible wall—a wall that was _very_ solid. The air turned gold for a moment as he struck it.

"A nice little trick, isn't it?" Anye asked. She traced a finger down through the air, leaving a shimmer of gold in its wake before it vanished again. "Barriers are my specialty. And they come in so handy."

Arthur cast his eyes around the room for an idea. He needed time to think.

"Why are you here?" he asked, to stall for some time. "Your spell's broken. You've lost."

"Arthur," Merlin said quietly, in a warning voice.

Anye's smile dropped. "I have _not_ lost," she said firmly. Suddenly an invisible hand shoved Arthur to his knees, where he stayed frozen. He couldn't move anything below his neck. His eyes widened in surprise. But this wasn't any sort of paralysis. He could still _feel_ his legs, they just couldn't move. Every time he tried he glowed like the air had. "I told you they were handy," she reminded him. "If I form a barrier closely around someone, then they can't even twitch without activating the shields." Merlin dropped next to him, apparently victim to the same tactic. "I'll take that crystal now," she said as she took it from Arthur's hand. The air shimmered as she took it, but whatever barrier this was, it didn't stop _her_ from reaching past it.

She brought the crystal close to her face, inspecting it thoroughly. It didn't take her long to reach her conclusion though, and she threw the crystal to the side in disgust. "Useless, now," she commented. "I don't know how you two managed it, but well done."

Arthur chose not to mention that neither of them had actually been the one to destroy it.

She sat on the throne tapping her fingers as she thought. "It would take too long to recast the spell," she mused aloud, staring at her two captives with pursed lips. "Or to do anything else on such a big scale. And besides, I don't have another crystal. I suppose I could just kill you now…"

"Why didn't you just kill me in the first place?" Arthur asked.

"And Uther. Don't forget Uther," she reminded him absentmindedly. "And I didn't because I wanted to watch you squirm."

Arthur's anger boiled. "You let innocent people because it would be more _fun?"_

Anye sighed in exasperation, as though she was explaining something to a small child. "No," was her answer. "I needed to make an example of Camelot. I told you, the casualties were unfortunate. But now Camelot will never forget my work. People will think twice before anyone tries to persecute magic again."

"Or they'll be even more resentful," Arthur pointed out.

The sorceress ignored his comment. "But if I just kill you now no one will know why…" she continued, as though her thoughts had not been interrupted.

"How did you get in here?" Merlin spoke up for the first time, seeming to have been pondering this for a while.

"I teleported, of course," she said matter-of-factly. Then she returned to her pondering. After a moment, she stood up. "Well, no use letting anyone barge in here to the rescue while I plan, is there?"

She walked to the door and spoke a few words in that incomprehensible language. Then she began to slowly walk along the wall. The air shimmered behind her as she circled the room.

"So…what's the plan?" Merlin asked softly while Anye was busy.

Arthur mentally summed up their predicament. They were unarmed, currently immobile, and seemingly completely at the mercy of an angry sorceress.

A sorceress who was _not_ Emrys, Arthur added to himself, fighting a small smile. It was a small comfort, but it was a comfort nonetheless.

Small comforts aside, they were in an extremely precarious situation. And Anye was warding the room. Well, at least now his father couldn't barge in and get himself compromised as well. Uther was probably on his way there at that very moment, too. Arthur had been supposed to meet him here. But that also meant that no one would be able to help them. At least…no normal person.

_I'm always watching you._

That's what Emrys had said, nearly three months ago.

_I will die in your service if necessary._

Arthur and Merlin could not escape alone. They needed some help.

"Emrys will come," Arthur said with certainty. Merlin's eyes widened, and it took him a moment to respond. He glanced nervously at Anye.

"What makes you so sure?"

"I just know." How could Arthur possibly explain? How could he make Merlin understand his determination to never again doubt Emrys? His once and for all conclusion that Emrys was an ally? Emrys had sworn to protect him. Well, he needed the sorcerer's help now, and Arthur was sure it would come. Emrys would find a way to help them.

The look on Merlin's face was incredulous, but Arthur didn't care. Merlin didn't understand—he didn't know Emrys like he did. He hoped that one day his friend would be able to trust Emrys the way he now did.

.~.

_How_ did he manage to get into these situations? Merlin suppressed a sigh of exasperation. First he had to _find_ Emrys, and now he had to _wait_ for Emrys. Arthur really was an idiot.

So where did that leave them? Merlin's gaze followed Anye as she paced, but his eyes flickered to Arthur now and again. The prince was also staring at Anye, with a look of grim determination on his face as he waited.

No! This wasn't how things were supposed to go! Arthur was supposed to go about his incredibly stupid, spur-of-the-moment plan that would undoubtedly fail without a subtle touch of magic. Then Merlin would provide said touch of magic, they would escape unharmed, and Arthur would brag about the brilliant success and complain about Merlin's uselessness. _That_ is how these things were supposed to go. But no. The prat wasn't planning, he wasn't struggling to get free, he wasn't doing _anything!_ Why did he pick _now_ to become humble and admit that he needed help?

Merlin hesitated. He needed Arthur to be distracted with his own plans, but there was only one plausible reason Merlin could give.

"You don't know that," he argued quietly. Why was it that whenever Arthur _finally_ accepted magic, it was always _Merlin_ who had to convince him _not_ to?

"Yes I do."

"No, you don't." Merlin took a deep breath. "He's a sorcerer, Arthur. Have you forgotten what that means?"

"You're the one who told me I shouldn't expect differently from him than I do my knights," Arthur pointed out. His voice was firm. Merlin had to admit that was a fair point.

"No, I _asked_ you why you were expecting differently," he countered.

Arthur's jaw tightened. "I trust him," was all he said.

How much he would have given to hear those words a day ago. For the first time, Arthur seemed certain. Merlin switched tactics. "Look, even if you're right about him, you still don't know if he'll come. He probably doesn't even know you're in trouble."

"He's always watching me, that's what he said."

Merlin barely remembered to keep his agitated voice quiet. "That was probably an exaggeration!" he hissed.

"There." Their attention snapped back to the sorceress, who once more returned to the center of the room with them. "Now no one will disturb us, which gives me some time to plan what to do."

Merlin was thoroughly conflicted. He should be a lot happier with Arthur's new found trust in sorcery, but he was too distracted by the prince's horrible timing to receive much joy from the knowledge. They had to get out of here.

Well…Arthur trusted him now. He could just…

But Merlin couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew he was incapable of just volunteering the information. If it became absolutely necessary, he would do whatever it took to protect Arthur, but not until absolutely necessary, and they weren't to that stage of desperation yet.

What on earth was he supposed to do now?

.~.

When Gaius was summoned immediately to the throne room, his heart nearly stopped. Visions of Merlin's discovery swam through his mind. He'd _told_ that boy not to do anything until they had a plan! Now he feared that his ward hadn't listened. He hoped desperately that he was wrong. As he approached the throne room, he got a surprise. Uther, along with some knights and guards, were _outside_ the throne room, and Uther did not look happy in the least.

"Sire, you sent for me?" Gaius asked when he reached the king.

Uther wasted no time. "The doors are not locked, but they will not open. Same with all doors leading into the room." Gaius looked at a guard and indicated the door. Obediently, the guard pressed firmly on the wood. The door shimmered. Gaius' eyebrows raised and he fought down panic. Merlin, you wouldn't be so stupid as to magically ward the room, would you? he asked silently. If so, the boy had no way out. "Whatever sorcerer is doing this, he's got Arthur in there."

Surprise hit Gaius, followed by relief, though he tried not to let the latter be visible. If Arthur was inside, Merlin certainly wouldn't be doing any of this. However, that meant that someone else _was._ A guess told Gaius that it was the person responsible for these earthquakes. Whoever he was, he probably wasn't too happy about Merlin trying to destroy the source.

"What do you want me to do?" Gaius asked at last.

"Is there a way to break through these wards?"

Gaius stepped forward to study the door. A while later he stepped back again. "I'm afraid not Sire. I'm afraid only another sorcerer could break it. And only whoever made this could let anyone through it." Uther's worst fears were confirmed. "How long have they been in there?"

"I was supposed to meet Arthur in here twenty minutes ago. I'd imagine a little more time than that."

"Then I'd suggest we wait, Sire." Uther did not like waiting, and it showed on his face. "My lord, if this sorcerer has had Arthur for twenty minutes, he could have already killed him and escaped. He's waiting for something."

"For what?"

"I suppose he'll tell us when he's ready."

**A/N: Don't forget to go vote in the poll pretty please! And I hope you like Anye. It took a while for me to figure her out. Hope those of you who were expecting Morgana or Morgause aren't too disappointed in me. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Many thanks to hazelbunny for giving me the spark that turned into a bonfire of ideas for the opening of this chapter! Also, thank you all for voting in the poll! Freya's story has been solidly in the lead, so I will be finishing that up soon(ish) and posting it.**

Chapter 15 

They sat. They waited. How dreadfully boring. Merlin's knees were beginning to cramp.

Arthur seemed just as content as he had a half hour ago to wait for Emrys to come and save the day, and Merlin was at every bit of a loss as he was before. He settled on stalling for time.

"Anye, why are you doing this?" he asked, genuinely interested. He knew part of the reason, of course: down with the Pendragons for persecuting magic! But there had to be more to it than that.

"Those with magic have been persecuted for far too long. It's time someone changed that," she recited automatically.

Merlin fought the urge to roll his eyes. That was the part he already knew. He vaguely wondered if there was an evil-sorcerer handbook that they all read telling them what to say.

"I mean, why are _you_ doing this?" he asked again. "Anybody with an ounce of magic must feel the same. There's something else, isn't there?"

Her face almost seemed to soften for a moment, then it hardened again, and Merlin was left to wonder if he'd imagined it. "You can't possibly understand," she practically spat at him. She stood from the throne and began pacing around the room again.

"You might be surprised…" Merlin muttered. Then he wished he hadn't spoken, as both Anye's and Arthur's eyes shifted to him again. "Did Uther kill someone you loved?" he asked more loudly, hoping Arthur didn't read too much into his careless remark.

"No." There it was again. Merlin hadn't imagined it. Her face _had_ softened. "No, not someone." Anger rose in her voice, but she kept her voice low, as though fighting back a painful memory. "Many."

Merlin nodded slowly. He, too, had lost many to Uther's hatred of magic. Freya, his father, even Morgana. Though he was fairly certain Morgana was still alive, in all likelihood she was gone forever. Each loss felt like a stab wound that refused to heal—wounds that no one could ever know of. He'd come far too close to losing others as well, like Gaius and Gwen. He could understand perfectly well. "Who were they?"

She stared at the floor. "My father. My mother. My brother. And My friends." She looked up at Arthur. "They are all dead. Slaughtered by you and your knights."

Arthur's jaw set into a grim line. Merlin knew that he didn't doubt those words were true. "When?" the prince asked.

"Nearly a year ago. We lived in a druid encampment."

Arthur's eyes widened. He had only seen so many druid camps. "You lived with those who kidnapped the lady Morgana," he whispered.

Anye laughed heartlessly, throwing her head back. "Kidnapped indeed!" was all she said. She returned to her pacing. "You don't understand anything about that day."

At her words, Merlin stiffened. This wasn't good. He glanced between Arthur and Anye, the former of which was looking very confused. Now was not the time for Arthur to learn about Morgana.

Arthur opened his mouth to ask one of the thousands of questions that were undoubtedly swimming through his mind, and Merlin made a split second decision. He'd sworn to Morgana that he would keep her magic a secret. And so long as Camelot was in no danger from that knowledge, he intended to keep that promise. It was the least he could do for her.

"I _do_ understand," Merlin interrupted, his heart thumping wildly. Both sets of eyes turned to him again. "Y…you're not the only one to have lost loved ones to Uther." Anye turned to face him. He had her undivided attention. Merlin chanced a glance at Arthur, who was staring at him like he had two heads.

"You?" Anye asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "What could he have done to you? You are still in service to him."

"I am in service to _Arthur,_" Merlin said firmly. "Not Uther." His heart continued to hammer. He hoped she would just accept it at that, that she wouldn't push for an explanation. He was not particularly keen on having this conversation in front of Arthur.

"What did Uther do to you?" Merlin hesitated. But there was nothing to do but to tell the truth. He would cover for Morgana as long as he was able, even if it meant giving up one of his own secrets.

"Uther betrayed my father," he said simply.

.~.

Arthur stared at Merlin in horror. He racked his brain for anything Merlin might have said about his father. The only thing that came to mind was that day he and Merlin had gone to see Morgause. Arthur had confessed he'd never known his mother, Merlin confessed the same for his father.

But…why would Merlin never have told him? Something this significant…and if that was true, why was he here of all places? Why did he ever come to Camelot? When Arthur had thought, for that brief time, that Uther had betrayed his mother, he'd been fully prepared to murder him. If it hadn't been for Merlin…Arthur shuddered to think what he may have done. But if Uther had really betrayed Merlin's father, why had Merlin not let him run the king through while he had the chance? Why had Merlin stopped him?

Anye, for her part, was not at such a loss for words. "You're lying," she said simply. The soft smile she hid behind was back. "If that was true, you wouldn't be working for him."

That made sense, right? Right. It was a lie. Merlin was just trying to get in her head.

Merlin simply looked to the ground again. He didn't respond.

But this was _Merlin_. He didn't know how to get into people's heads.

Well, she didn't fall for it. So he certainly hadn't succeeded…

That had to be it. Anye was right. Merlin was making this up to make her think twice about what she was doing. Too bad it hadn't worked, it was fairly good idea. He tried to catch Merlin's eye to silently tell him he understood, but Merlin wasn't looking at him.

In any case, back to more important matters. "So, have you thought about what you're going to do to us yet?" Arthur asked nonchalantly.

Anye's brow furrowed in agitation. That look spoke volumes to Arthur. She had no idea what to do. She'd backed herself into a corner. From what she'd said earlier, she couldn't cast another powerful spell without one of those crystal things, but she also couldn't simply kill him, powerless though he currently was. That wasn't public enough. She could have him and his father publically executed, but with the number of guards and knights outside, he could only wonder how she would pull that off.

So what would she do? She still hadn't answered. The only leverage she had was two hostages—one of whom was worthless for her purpose.

"You could leave," Merlin pointed out quietly.

There was an option. She could just teleport out the same way she'd come in. But…Arthur didn't _want_ her to just leave. If she did, she would come back better prepared. Perhaps she would renew the earthquakes, and more people would die. If she stayed, hopefully this could all end today.

That thought made Arthur glance over the multiple doors he could see from his position in hopes of seeing a cloaked figure.

"No, I can't," Anye answered simply. "Because of my family, I can't." Merlin didn't argue. Her answer had been easily predictable. "I _will_ fix this," she said, more to herself than to her two prisoners. "I _will_ make people realize…"

Arthur remained silent for a moment as Anye continued to ponder her options. "For what it's worth," he began slowly, "and…I know that's not much, but I am sorry about that day." He made sure to look straight at her when she stared at him in disbelief. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he didn't have the whole picture, and he found that extremely likely. Perhaps it had not been the whole camp of druids who were responsible for Morgana's abduction, but only a few, and the rest had been innocent of the deed.

"You're sorry," she repeated. "You're _sorry?_" Arthur began to think he shouldn't have spoken, but they were words that needed to be said. "You kill _dozens_ of innocent people and you're _sorry!"_ She was directly in front of him now, eyes seething. She stared down at him menacingly for a moment before slapping him across the face.

"You think you can fix everything with a simple lie?" she continued. "I never, _never, _thought I would say this, but you're even worse than Uther!" Arthur, cheek still stinging, felt as though he'd been slapped a second time. "At least Uther stands openly against us! But _you?_ You have the _nerve_ to act like you're different, but were I to release you and hand you a sword you'd run me through in a second! And you'd do the same to anyone else with magic! Camelot will be better off without the lot of you!"

Arthur could do nothing but stare silently at her. He wasn't even convinced her words were false. Hadn't he come so close to betraying his only magical ally? It may be reasonable to want _Anye_ dead, since she was a threat to his people, but he had no such excuse for his doubts of Emrys.

He allowed his eyes to sink to the floor.

"You're wrong!"

Arthur's head snapped up again.

"Arthur will be the greatest king anyone has ever seen! And you're certainly not going to stop him!"

Anye seemed to have forgotten the servant was still there. Her anger gave way to surprise. "My goodness, you really believe that, don't you?"

She said something else after that, but Arthur could no longer process any of her words. All he could do was stare at Merlin.

No. There was no way. It _couldn't be._

Those words. Those two words that had haunted him for three months. That voice he had been listening for, straining to hear in everyone he met, he'd at last realized why that voice was so damn familiar.

Completely unbeknownst to the two sorcerers arguing in front of him, Arthur's mind was no longer in the room. He was in the forest. He watched from his position tied to the tree as the cloaked figure stepped into the clearing and addressed his abductor. He watched him, he listened to all his words, replaying everything through his head.

_You're wrong!_

He watched the battle unfold. He felt the strange energy passing between the two that Arthur couldn't see. He saw the ground open up and swallow their enemy whole.

_Arthur will be a great king._

He saw Emrys turn to untie him, his eyes lingered over the blackened burn on his savior's chest.

_A stupid piece of coal got stuck in my shirt._

He saw the burn on Merlin's chest as they escaped the fire.

_Who are you? / No one of consequence._

He saw rain appear out of nowhere, dousing the fire that consumed the stables. He saw Merlin's amused eyes as he was told about Emrys for the first time. He saw a floorboard smacking his knee, a floorboard he hadn't even bothered to look under.

_Why do you expect any differently of a sorcerer?_

He saw everything that had passed over the last three months. Saw, and was horrified at his own stupidity.

It was Merlin.

He was Emrys.

Merlin was Emrys.

Emrys was Merlin.

It was _Merlin!_

But it _couldn't_ be Merlin! Arthur thought in desperation. It just couldn't be!

No…wait. It really couldn't be. His mind abandoned the blind denial he had been clinging to for so long. Rather, he found a real, significant piece of evidence that Merlin could in no way be Emrys.

Emrys had sent a light to him in that cave to guide Arthur to safety. _Merlin_ had been unconscious at the time, dying from the poison he had drunk in Arthur's place. There was no way he could have been there. No way he could have summoned that light. No way he could be Emrys.

_You're wrong!_

But he had to be.

Nothing had ever made so much or so little sense to him. Merlin _had _to be Emrys. But he could _not_ be Emrys. It was an impossible situation.

Somehow, as Arthur faced the paradox before him, those two words proved all his logic to be nonsensical. He was left with a single, impossible truth, but a truth none-the-less.

Merlin was Emrys.

…

Wasn't he?


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Wow! 93 reviews on a single chapter! That's the most yet! Thanks so much everyone for all of your support! This fic has officially hit 600 reviews, which is more than I ever hoped for. :)**

**Sorry for the wait, by the way. School has been absolutely chaotic. I'm scrambling to get everything done and haven't had time to write. Things should be slowing down slightly though.**

Chapter Sixteen:

Arthur's head was spinning. Anye and Merlin had finished arguing, the latter of whom was now once again pacing around the room. At least she didn't appear inclined to slap Arthur again.

How had he been such an idiot?

Had he been an idiot? Maybe he was being an idiot now.

Merlin and Emrys had identical burns on their chests. Merlin and Emrys were the same size. Merlin and Emrys had the same damn _voice._

But Merlin was unconscious when Emrys was saving Arthur's life. Merlin was constantly hiding behind trees during fights, Emrys charged right into the thick of danger. Merlin was a bumbling idiot, while Emrys was calm, powerful, and downright…_awe_ inspiring.

Merlin and Emrys had both sworn to serve Arthur until their deaths.

If Merlin was Emrys, why didn't he do something about Anye?

Arthur could have slapped himself for the question. Duh. He can't exactly do any magic in front of the prince of Camelot.

Arthur could tell him that he knew. Arthur _should_ tell him that he knew.

He continued to play back moments of the last few months in his head. Currently, he was pondering having walked into this very room to find Merlin sitting on the throne with a broken magical crystal in his hand, claiming Emrys had told him about it. It seemed every single event taunted Arthur with his stupidity.

But what if he was wrong? His idiotic inner voice would not go away, despite all the overwhelming evidence.

Suddenly, Merlin pitched forward and caught himself on his hands. Anye placed herself purposefully in front of him as he switched positions and rubbed life back into his aching limbs. Arthur remained locked in place by the barrier.

"Here's what you're going to do," she informed the now barrier-free Merlin. "You're going to give a message to Uther for me."

"And…why would I do that?" He still sounded like the same old Merlin…

"Because if you don't, I'll just kill you," she pointed out. "I certainly don't need you."

"Point taken."

"You're going to tell Uther to gather all his people in the main square. Not a single person must be absent. When that's done, he and the knights will wait there, and _you_ will return and tell me it's been done. If he does not comply, then I'll simply kill Arthur, teleport out of here, and come back for him later. Understood?"

"May I ask why you want all of Camelot in the main square?" Merlin asked

"No."

"All right…may I ask how you expect me to get back in here to tell you? Seems to me like everyone outside this room stays outside."

Anye took a step forward and touched Merlin's forehead, muttering that strange language. "My barriers will no longer effect you. Now go," she indicated the door. "Uther has one hour."

Merlin glanced at Arthur. Arthur, for the first time, recognized the glance, not as uncertain, as he would have previously thought, but as protective. Merlin was unwilling to leave Arthur unprotected.

When Emrys said he was always watching out for Arthur, he wasn't kidding.

_If _he was Merlin, the stubborn inner voice inserted.

Reluctantly, Merlin turned towards the door, and Arthur still couldn't bring himself to make up his mind about his servant. But, he had to tell him _something._ Give him some sort of a hint…

"Tell Sir Emrys—"

"No!" Anye interrupted, as Arthur had known she would. "No messages besides the one to Uther." Merlin had stopped though, and the words had the effect that Arthur had hoped for.

_If you're Emrys, come back and take care of her._

_If you're not, find him._

Either way, at Merlin's silent nod, Arthur knew his silent message would be obeyed.

Merlin strode to the end of the hall and opened the doors. Arthur caught a brief glimpse of the knights outside before Merlin walked through the shimmering gold air and the doors closed behind him.

.~.

Hands seized Merlin the moment he stepped outside the throne room. Two pairs of hands actually. Merlin looked up at the two knights who held him tightly. Uther was upon him almost instantly.

"Is Arthur safe?" he demanded.

"Yes, my lord," Merlin answered, trying to shift out of the knights grasp, but they would not relent.

"How did you escape?" he demanded.

"The sorceress sent me with a message for you, Sire." Uther's jaw set in a grim line, but he nodded, indicating for Merlin to continue. Obediently, Merlin informed him of all Anye had instructed.

"Why does she want such an audience?" Uther asked, when all had been told. Merlin wasn't entirely sure if the question was meant for him, as Uther was no longer looking at him, so he remained silent.

"What will you do?" Gaius asked the king.

There was a moment of silence. "I cannot comply with the orders of a sorceress," he said at last.

"But my lord, what of Arthur? If you do not comply, she will kill him," Gaius pointed out.

Uther mulled the situation over in his mind. "We will use this," he said at last. "She would not want such a gathering if she did not intend to see it. Most likely she plans on killing Arthur publicly. We will make her think her orders are being carried out, and when she at last comes out, we can take her by surprise."

Personally, Merlin thought that was a horrible plan. And it also made his _own_ plans a bit more difficult. How was he supposed to sneak back into the throne room as Emrys if everyone remained stubbornly planted right outside? Of course, contradicting the king also tends to be a horrible plan.

"If I may, Sire?" he asked hesitantly. Uther turned back to him, looking very surprise that a mere servant had the audacity to speak to him uninvited. Though he didn't negate Merlin's request, Merlin thought it better to actually wait for a verbal affirmation before continuing.

At last Uther nodded. "Speak."

"She may have eyes in Camelot. If she finds out we're not following her plans, Prince Arthur is as good as dead. Wouldn't it be better to actually gather the people? To lure her into a false sense of security?"

"You're suggesting I cooperate with a sorceress?" Uther demanded angrily.

"My lord," Gaius interrupted, alarmed, "I think Merlin is right. Though we would be following her demand, yes, we certainly would never allow her to reach the square, which is undoubtedly what she wants. We will still be withholding what she really wishes."

Merlin resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation. Isn't that what he just said? However, coming from Gaius seemed to hold more weight.

Uther looked back at Merlin again. "You think she has an accomplice?" he asked.

Great, Merlin thought, he had just opened the doors for the king to demand another hunt for sorcery. Oh well. "It is possible, my lord."

There was a moment's silence. "Prepare the square," Uther said at last. "I want every man, woman, and child present. Not a soul must be absent." Most knights and guards went away to do as ordered, but Uther held a few of them back. Sir Leon was one of them. So were the two who continued to hold Merlin in place.

"Stay here and guard the door," he told the few who remained. "Leave the guards at the other doors posted as well. If anything changes, I want to know immediately." He then left them as well.

Merlin let out the breath he had been holding. Now his task would be slightly easier. Well, it would be if these cursed two knights would let go of him.

"Release the boy," Sir Leon ordered the two, much to Merlin's relief. They obeyed immediately, and Leon drew Merlin to the side. Then he spoke very softly. "Merlin, is there anything else you did not tell the king?" he asked. Merlin's eyes opened a bit wider in surprise. "Please," he said when Merlin said nothing. "I know you would do anything to protect Arthur. Is there anything that Anye made you swear not to tell Uther?"

Merlin at last found his voice. "No," he answered. "Oh, though I should tell you, her earthquakes are gone."

"Gone?" Leon asked, surprised.

Merlin nodded. "Somehow her spell broke. That's why she's so angry. That's why she's here."

Leon gave a brief nod, and then returned to the others. Merlin, on the other hand, slipped away. While Uther and the knights prepared to face Anye, Merlin had his own preparations to undertake.''

Unfortunately, Gaius seemed to realize what he was planning and followed him.

Gaius waited until they returned to their chambers before confronting him. It was far too dangerous to speak about such subjects in the open right now, no matter how carefully. "Merlin," he said at last, "just what are you planning?"

"I think you already know," Merlin pointed out, not stopping once inside. Rather, he strode straight into his room, pried up the loose floorboard, and pulled out the plain, generic clothes he had stashed in there—including a new shirt that lacked the gaping hole that had been singed into the first. He quickly began to change.

"Merlin, it's a miracle Arthur didn't recognize you the first time!" Gaius reminded him. "I fear you'll not be so lucky again."

"Arthur's safety comes first," Merlin pointed out.

"Fine. But who will protect Arthur once you've been burned at the stake?"

Merlin hesitated, then resumed changing, pulling the shirt over his head. "He won't recognize me," he said firmly. "Arthur has been mentally interrogating absolutely _everyone._ But he never once even suspected that _I_ might be Emrys." Well, that wasn't entirely true. Merlin was fairly certain he had suspected, ever so slightly, after the fire in the stables. "He's convinced that idea is ludicrous," he added, to amend the slight falsehood.

"Merlin, this is a bad idea."

He sighed. "I know," he finally admitted, looking straight at Gaius, silently asking him what else he could do.

At his ward's resignation, Gaius seemed to resign himself as well. "Be careful."

Merlin nodded, then reached down again and pulled out his staff. Gripping it firmly, he pulled his hood up. "How do I look?" he asked pleasantly.

Gaius nearly laughed. "Like an utter fool." Then he frowned. "Don't forget about your hand," he reminded his ward.

Merlin obediently looked down at his hands, the right of which was still wrapped up in bandages from the burn. That would be a dead give away.

"Oh. Right." He set the staff down and carefully unwrapped his hand. The burn was not too bad. Gaius's pastes did wonders. After all, they had managed to make the burn on his chest, from magical lightning, heal to the point of almost looking like a regular, ordinary burn from a fire. Though it did still look fresh—however old it was. The burn on his hand, contrarily, since it was _not_ magical, had made significant improvement. Merlin flexed his hand experimentally, then he carefully closed it around the staff again. Changing his mind at the discomfort, he switched the staff to his left hand instead.

"All right. Time to save his royal pratness again."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: (Cautiously peers around a corner) Don't hurt me!**

**I know it's been a long time since I've updated, and I am so, so, SO sorry about that! Almost two months. Wow. Shame on me! (bops head with fist.) I'm really sorry for making you all wait so long. You will not believe how crazy hectic the past two months have been. And the few moments I did find for writing, I got a little bit of writer's block. I knew what I wanted to write, I just didn't know how to write it. But, I'm over it! Woohoo!**

**So here it is: the long-awaited seventeenth chapter of On Shaky Ground. Excitement! I really hope you like it. I made this chapter a bit longer than usual. Hopefully that will make up for my lack of updates? Hm? Just a little bit?**

**Enjoy. :)**

Chapter 17

"So why _do_ you want everyone in the main square?" Arthur asked, once Merlin was gone. Anye looked at him pointedly, but ignored the question. "Right," Arthur responded. "You're not going to tell me. Though I suppose I can guess, just as easily. You're going to have me publicly executed, is that it?"

Anye smiled playfully. "Well aren't you clever? Or at least a fair bit more clever than that servant boy of yours."

"It's not like you gave him any choice in the matter," Arthur pointed out. He was reasonably certain that Merlin knew exactly what was going on. Though a small part of him hoped that he was wrong, and that Merlin was still the same old, utterly clueless idiot he had always been.

That thought made Arthur pause. Did he really hope for that? Did he really hope he was wrong about Merlin being Emrys? If he was wrong, then his protector's unknown identity would continue to haunt him. The passed months had been a torment. Did he really want to return to that uncertainty?

What was the alternative? That Merlin was a very, _very_ powerful sorcerer. That Merlin had been lying to him since the day they had first met.

No, Arthur corrected himself, it wasn't the lying that bothered him—at least not directly. That was understandable enough. What really bothered Arthur was that it would mean Merlin didn't trust him. His friend, whom he had confided in on so many things—his love for Guinevere, his doubts about the future and about his ability to rule—didn't trust him at all. Arthur thought back through their years together and tried to think of one thing—just one thing—that Merlin had confided in him, and he could think of nothing. Merlin _respected_ Arthur, enough to listen to him, to drink poison for him, even to stand up to him, but he didn't _trust_ Arthur.

"_Uther betrayed my father." _Arthur suddenly listened to those words with a new perspective. Now, Arthur wondered if those words were as false as he'd first thought. If Merlin _was _Emrys, maybe his father had been a sorcerer also. Maybe Uther had executed him.

So, if those words were true, then the only significant secret that Merlin had confided in him had been under the threat of an evil sorceress.

But if Merlin was _not_ Emrys, then maybe he just didn't have anything to confide, and his life was as simple and as care-free as Arthur had always thought.

He would know soon, one way or another. He knew that Emrys _would _ come, whether or not he was Merlin. All he had to do was wait in anticipation.

.~.

Thank heavens for everyone being on high alert, Merlin thought as he strode through the halls. That seemed an odd enough thought. But apparently having a highly dangerous sorceress holding the prince captive made a fantastic distraction. Most guards were in the town gathering the people, according to Anye's orders. The few that were not were all planted firmly next to the throne room. That, plus all the servants and nobles hiding away somewhere, left the halls entirely empty, and made sneaking around in a suspicious cloak while holding a magical staff much easier.

Now, actually getting into the throne room would prove slightly more difficult. This thought was soon confirmed as Merlin came closer. He peered around a corner to find a handful of guards at the main entrance, as expected.

Side doors? Merlin thought. He changed direction.

Each of the side doors had two guards posted at it. Splendid. And he highly doubted his usual tricks to get guards away from their post would work in a situation like this. They were too concerned about what was going on _inside._ A random noise in a distant hallway wouldn't concern them.

Well, onto the back up plan, then.

Merlin took a deep breath, then stepped out from his hiding place. The guards' attention snapped to him immediately.

"You there!" the one on the left demanded as they both drew their swords, "State your business!"

Merlin stared calmly at the two of them. Letting out a slow breath, he said softly, "_Quiesco._"

The staff in his hand hummed in response to the word, the crystal glowing faintly. Immediately their swords drooped as they lost their strength, and yawns overtook them. Merlin realized the danger just in time. With a flash of his eyes, the two swords sprung away from the guards as they collapsed. One of them began to lightly snore. At least they hadn't impaled themselves.

Wow, Merlin thought. That was easier than usual. He glanced at the staff as it returned to normal. Next time he was having trouble with a spell, he was pulling this thing out. And here he'd been thinking it was really only good for battle magic…

Now another problem presented itself. Merlin knew that he could simply walk straight into the throne room, but he _shouldn't_ be able to walk straight in. Not if he was Emrys, and not Merlin. However, if he simply brought the barrier down (which he wasn't entirely certain he'd be able to do anyways) then any of the guards could enter. And that would be problematic.

Which means he had to improvise. He hated improvising. The spells never ended up working the way they were supposed to.

After pondering his options for a moment, he thought of something that might work. And, well…even if it didn't work, he just had to pretend it had.

"_Contego unus de cri magistre decipio laqueus_**."**

He felt a strange sensation spreading throughout his body as he uttered the final words. For a moment, he glowed a soft blue color, but soon the color and the sensation faded, leaving Merlin feeling the same as he had before.

Had it worked?

One way to find out. Actually…no way to find out, seeing as he'd be able to walk through the barrier whether it worked or not. Joy. Oh well, that's what bluffing was for.

Resetting his grip on the staff, Merlin thrust the doors open with a flash of his eyes and barged straight through the barrier, into the throne room.

Immediately his eyes sought out Arthur to confirm that he was safe. The prince remained exactly where Merlin had left him.

Something unsettled Merlin the way Arthur was looking at him. Unfortunately, Merlin didn't have time to ponder that.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Anye demanded.

"You're not the only one with special tricks up your sleeve," Merlin answered as calmly as he could, once again trying to keep his voice lower than usual.

Something in Arthur's demeanor changed, but Merlin was not able to focus on him.

Anye eyed his staff. "You're a sorcerer."

Merlin didn't feel particularly inclined to correct the technicality, so he changed topics. "Release the prince, and leave here. Never return."

Anye's eyebrows raised. "You're here to _protect_ him?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes."

She stared at him blankly for a moment, then looked back at Arthur, then back at him.

"Are you _serious?_"

Merlin sighed. "Apparently not the _entire _magical community has heard, then," he muttered.

"Why would you protect him?" she demanded.

Why did everybody always ask him the same questions? Honestly. It was downright annoying.

"I believe in him," he said simply. "Arthur is not like his father."

"He's exactly like his father!" she practically shouted at him. "He's a lying, manipulative little murderer and if you're on his side, I'll just have to kill you too! _Solvo iuguliahrish!"_

Merlin dived to the side. The blast hit the wall behind him instead, disintegrating a chunk of it. Merlin eyed the gaping hole. It had even eaten through her own magical shield? Maybe that was because both of them were her own magic? If that wasn't the case, Merlin would hate to find that out the hard way. It was a good thing he had dodged, rather than raising up his own shield.

Dodging her second spout of the same spell, Merlin raised the staff. "_Laedo!"_

Again the staff hummed and glowed, and a burst of energy shot forward towards the sorceress, but the blast was stopped by a glowing shield that rippled into view briefly, not leaving a scratch. Anye had a shield in place around her. And judging by the fact that she hadn't said any spell words, the shield was probably like the ones she had used to lock him and Arthur into place. It didn't just protect her when she called it up, like the only shield spell Merlin had ever learned, it was being sustained.

Merlin really needed to learn that spell. It would be one handy thing to have in his arsenal.

In the meantime, it was one annoying problem.

Anye laughed as her shield absorbed his spell. "You can't fight me," she said simply. "No one can beat my shields."

"Oh ya? Then how did I get in here?" Her eyes narrowed at the comment. In retrospect, maybe reminding her that he'd done something he shouldn't have been able to do was not the brightest idea.

Her only answer, though, was to shoot another spell at him, a different one this time. Green fire rushed at him in a concentrated wave. With a flash of gold, Merlin conjured his own wave to combat it as the moisture in the air around him turned liquid. It was as though someone had tossed a torch into a lake.

Anye's eyes widened like saucers. "You didn't use a spell," she commented, almost matter-of-factly. "You're not a sorcerer, you're a warlock."

"I don't want to fight you," Merlin informed her. "Please, just leave."

She only seemed to grow irritated at the request. Merlin knew she wouldn't listen. He would have to fight her. But how could he fight someone who was so well protected?

He pointed to the ground at her feet. "_Specus foramish cavatus!"_ Anye leapt to the side as the section of the floor caved in. Merlin really hoped there was no one underneath them. He would hate for innocent people to get hurt.

"_Concisus deputo!" _she shouted. A beam of light shot towards Merlin. As he dodged, it grazed his arm, leaving a stinging cut that bled lightly.

A cutting spell? That could certainly be more dangerous than blasts of energy.

"_Concisus deputo! Concisus deputo! Concisus deputo!" _Merlin dodged as quickly as he was able, but she was too fast for him. At the last utterance of the spell, he raised a shield in place, knowing he wouldn't be able to dodge it.

The beam sliced through his shield like it wasn't even there and connected with his right shoulder. Merlin dropped to his knees at the pain, dropping his staff and gripping his shoulder, feeling as though he had been stabbed. Dimly, he thought he heard someone shout his name. Blood seeped from under his fingers as he tried to stem the flow.

Anye, grinning triumphantly, muttered some words that Merlin didn't quite catch. The next thing he knew, he was flying backwards through the air until he collided with the wall and stayed there, feet dangling two feet above the floor.

"You thought a _shield _could stop my spells?" she asked, stepping closer towards him. "Shields are my specialty, there has yet to be a shield I couldn't get passed." Merlin struggled to break free, which only made her grin wider. "And there has yet to be anyone who can break free of that particular shield. It binds your magic as well."

She froze though, and her grin slipped off her face to be replaced with a frown of confusion and worry. Merlin could feel it too. The shield was weakening with his struggles. The magic inside him was fighting to be released. The air around him crackled as though with electricity.

Her frown of confusion became that of horror. "You can't be that powerful," she said desperately. "I beat you so easily. You can't be powerful enough to break my shields."

But Merlin knew, and she knew, that she was wrong. She would not be able to hold him forever.

"I won't let you hurt him," Merlin said, somewhat weakly. The blood loss was beginning to get to him already. "I'll kill you if you try."

Something seemed to dawn on Anye. It was as though she suddenly realized that the warlock in front of her was completely capable of carrying out his threat. It would still be another half hour before her request to Uther would be completed, and she couldn't hold him for that long.

If she couldn't hold him, she would just have to kill him now. She pointed at his heart and muttered the words for the cutting spell again, since that seemed to work so well last time.

As the spell left her fingertips, the air around Merlin cracked with energy from his power. Her spell couldn't get through.

Anye's mouth dropped. He was shielding himself from her spells. But it wasn't a shield like any she had encountered. It was raw energy. It was power. His shields were completely subconscious. Anye had no way to break through.

He was just too powerful.

"Fine," she said simply. Suddenly, she turned on her heel and stormed away from the warlock pinned to the wall. She strode over to the prince. "If I can't get you to the main square, I'll just kill you here and be done with it! I'll come back for this protector of yours and your precious father later."

"No!" Merlin cried desperately. He fought in vain against his invisible bindings as she pointed to Arthur's chest.

A flood of energy burst from the horrified Merlin, breaking through the shield wrapped around Anye and slamming into her, full force. She went flying backwards. Instantly, Merlin slid down the wall's length to the floor, where he shakily regained his feet, not entirely sure what he had just done, but glad his magic had responded so instinctively.

"I won't let you hurt him!" he repeated firmly, gripping the wound in his shoulder. The blood loss, in combination with the large amount of energy he had just spent, was making him feel dizzy. He stumbled forward until he was able to plant himself between the sorceress—who was returning to her feet—and the prince.

Gone was any trace of smile on Anye's face. She looked positively livid. "Are you really that stupid?" she asked him. "Do you really think this boy will thank you for saving him?"

"It's not about that," Merlin responded, fighting the urge to succumb to the weakness he felt and sink to his knees.

There was suddenly a heavy pounding on the main doors of the throne room, one large thud at a time. The knights must be trying to break in.

"They must have heard the commotion," Anye commented. A hint of her grin returned, shrouded in the anger etched in her face. "What do you think they would do if they saw the two of us in here, fighting? Do you think they'd let you go? They'd kill you just the same as me."

"I doesn't matter," Merlin said firmly. "All that matters is protecting Prince Arthur." She stared at him coldly. "You can't fight me, Anye," he added. They both knew what he meant. He might die in the process, but he would take her down with him. Anye would never be able to lay a finger on Arthur.

"What's your name?"

Merlin started at the sudden question. In his surprise, he almost blurted out "Merlin." Thankfully, he realized his mistake before he actually opened his mouth. "Emrys," he replied.

She nodded faintly. "Well, Emrys. Let's see if it really doesn't matter." With a flash of her eyes, Merlin felt all the shields around the throne room collapse. Almost instantly, the doors burst open on all sides as knights and guards streamed into the room, along with King Uther, fully armored and sword drawn.

Sorceress, warlock, and prince were completely surrounded.

Uther stared at the two intruders. "So there was an accomplice, after all," he stated angrily. "Surrender now and your deaths will be swift!" he ordered.

Anye smiled that bitter smile again. "I am the sorceress responsible for the earthquakes and your son's captivity," she informed him simply. "This man was trying to protect you all. Do with him as you will." With that, she muttered some words and disappeared in a flurry of wind, leaving Merlin alone in a roomful of very angry looking people.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: So I totally had this whole chapter underway, and was about halfway done with it, when I realized that I hated it. So I scrapped it and started over. But I like this one better! Even if it did take some extra time. But at least it was a faster update than the last few!**

**In the meantime, if any of you are interested, I finally finished the winning fic from the poll, so ****The Curse's Origins**** is now posted! (Shameless plug, I know. So sue me.) And also, a new poll is up, if you feel like heading over to vote. :)**

**Onwards!**

Chapter Eighteen

"Do with him as you will."

The sudden onset of wind made Arthur shield his eyes. It was only then that he fully realized the barrier keeping him captive had also been removed. When he lowered his arm from his face, Anye was gone, leaving only him and his rescuer to face the wrath of Camelot's knights.

Arthur's head was spinning, but now was not the time to think. Now was the time to act.

The knights stood immobile in a circle around them, swords raised and prepared to strike. Most eyes never left the cloaked figure in front of them, but a few swiveled between Uther, Arthur, and the warlock with uncertainty. Anye's words had certainly surprised them.

For a brief moment, Arthur had contemplated denying the man was a sorcerer. After all, no one had seen him use any magic, and Anye had only called him a man, not a warlock or a sorcerer. But at that moment the air around Emrys crackled with electric power again, dashing all thoughts of denial.

"Seize him!" Uther ordered, staring coldly at the bleeding man.

"No!" Arthur planted himself protectively in front of the warlock. His movement held little practical value, seeing as they were surrounded and could effectively be grabbed from any angle. Even so, his actions had an effect, as those who had moved to follow Uther's order froze in uncertainty.

He was _not_ going to let Merlin be executed.

And Arthur knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Emrys was, in fact, Merlin. The moment Emrys had appeared and spoken, Arthur felt as though a giant bucket of ice had been dumped over him, and he called himself ten kinds of idiot at the sheer obviousness of Merlin's identity. Maybe it was understandable to miss that Merlin and Emrys were the same height, the same size, and had the same pale shade of skin…maybe. But how in goodness name did he manage to be fooled by that pathetic attempt at disguising his voice?

Even after he'd begun to suspect, even when it made so much sense, Arthur still hadn't fully believed that Merlin was Emrys. But it was true. And now he would have to come to terms with that. Eventually…

"This man saved my life," Arthur informed the crowd. Several swords lowered marginally at his words. "He came and fought Anye in order to protect me, at great risk to himself. I cannot allow him to be harmed."

"Arthur," Uther practically hissed. "Are you mad? _Look _at him!"

Arthur didn't have to. From where he stood, he could _feel_ the air around Merlin continue to crackle with energy. It was quite a strange feeling. His very bones felt like they were humming. But it didn't hurt the way he expected magic to feel. It didn't feel foreign or unnatural. It felt…soothing. Calming.

Nevertheless, Arthur obediently turned to face the warlock, using his father's command as an opportunity.

The sight of him swaying from weakness and blood loss made Arthur's stomach drop. Merlin needed help. He needed to escape, get back to Gaius. Magic or no, he could die, same as anyone else. "Get out of here," Arthur said softly. "Just…vanish, like she did."

"Don't know how," was the weak reply.

_Damn it, Merlin!_ Arthur nearly cried out. He was supposed to be an all-powerful _warlock._ But _no._ First, he effectively gets stabbed, and now he's saying there's magic that he doesn't know. Arthur's view of the pathetic, helpless, idiotic manservant had already shattered. Now his view of the mighty, powerful Emrys was in equal danger.

Why couldn't things ever be simple?

Arthur's heart was hammering as the full extent of their situation hit him. Merlin couldn't save himself. It was Arthur's turn to help him, but what could he do? His father would never listen. But he had to try. If he failed, then Merlin was doomed.

He turned back to Uther. "He saved my life," he repeated firmly, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

Uther glowered. "Undoubtedly for his own dark aims."

"What purpose could _protecting me_ possibly serve for an attack on Camelot?" Arthur demanded.

Uther stepped forward to speak quietly to Arthur. "Do not argue with me, boy. It is not for us to understand the mind of a sorcerer."

"You always use that excuse," Arthur shot back, equally soft and angry. "How long will you hide behind your own ignorance? Let Emrys go free, and you'll never see him again. You rid Camelot of a sorcerer, yet still show mercy."

"No _sorcerer_ deserves mercy!"

"Warlock," Arthur corrected.

"What?" Uther demanded.

Arthur realized his words had been a mistake. But too late. "He's not a sorcerer, he's a warlock," he explained.

Uther stared at his son as though he had never seen him before, then stepped away from him. "Guards! Restrain Prince Arthur! He's been enchanted!"

Several of the men rushed forward to comply. "Run, Emrys!" Arthur shouted, even as they were both seized. He had failed. He had failed Merlin. After everything Merlin had done for him, he was going to die.

The air around Merlin cracked loudly again, as sparks flew. The two knights who had seized him let go with a cry of pain, and Merlin stumbled. The next thing that happened surprised even the prince. Arthur blinked, and Merlin was gone, the suddenly open throne room door slowly swinging shut the only thing to suggest what had just happened.

There was a long moment of confused silence before—

"Find him!" Dozens of feet fled the throne room. The two people who remained pulled Arthur towards the door as well, to take him towards the dungeons. Arthur's struggles got him nowhere. He just hoped Merlin had gotten far enough away. He hoped it was enough.

.~.

Merlin knew he was in trouble the moment Anye dropped the shields. When she teleported away, leaving him at the "mercy" of the king, his suspicions were confirmed.

If it wasn't such a dire situation, Merlin would actually be pleased that Arthur was defending him. As it was, he was only irritated that he was defending him so poorly. He would have to get out of this himself. He really wish he _did_ know how to teleport. He would have to fight his way out. But he didn't want to hurt anyone. These men were all loyal to Camelot. Plus, he didn't have the strength for a fight.

Fighting dizziness that was threatening to overwhelm him, Merlin let out a shaky breath as he let his magic stir within him, but it was slipping from his mental grip. He tuned out Arthur and Uther as they argued, he tuned out the sound of shifting weight and heavy breathing from the rest of the room. "_Quiesco,"_ he whispered, pushing the spell outwards, trying to make the whole room sleep.

It was too much in his condition. The energy was too scattered, as a result it dissipated shortly after he released it. No one even yawned. But Merlin was left feeling even more drained, and the edges of his vision went black.

"Run, Emrys!"

The words barely penetrated the haze in Merlin's head, but they snapped enough sense back into him that he realized what was happening. The hands that grabbed him brought forward his magical instincts once again, forcing the men to release him and take a step away from the energy field.

Arthur was safe, he didn't need Merlin anymore. Which left only one thought in Merlin's mind: escape.

The world slowed to a near standstill. Frantically, Merlin looked around the room for an idea. None came to him, so he did exactly what Arthur had suggested. He ran.

Well, ran might be an overstatement. But he did hobble from the room as fast as his wounded body would allow him. It wouldn't matter. No one would see him leave, in any case.

Remaining energy draining fast, Merlin managed two corridors before he knew he was out of options. He opened a door at random and entered into an unused guest room as time returned to normal. He managed to drag himself into the empty wardrobe and shut himself in before he passed out.

.~.

Leon couldn't bring himself to restrain the prince when Uther had commanded it. Enough volunteers ran forward though that his hesitation went unnoticed. And when the sorcerer—Emrys?—disappeared, the look of relief on Arthur's face was so obvious that Leon really didn't know what to think.

Leon had seen people enchanted before. He wasn't convinced the king was right about Arthur's state of mind. If Arthur was enchanted, why did the sorceress also claim that Emrys was protecting Arthur? If Emrys was her accomplice, why leave him to die? Arthur's explanation just made more sense.

But…a sorcerer? No sorcerer would ally himself with Camelot.

Arthur seemed to think he had.

Leon was out the throne room before anyone gathered their wits enough to begin chase. He didn't think anyone had noticed his sudden exit. A small speck of blood, barely noticeable, sent Leon running down the corridor to the left. As he rounded the corner—no cloaked sorcerer in sight—he heard the rest of the men join the hunt. There was a slight pause as they divided up their forces to split into the different directions, which allowed Leon to continue around another corner, staying just ahead of the others.

He could hear doors being opened behind him as they quickly searched the rooms they passed, while others continued forward.

Leon doubted the sorcerer would be in any of the rooms. He must know they would be searched, so he kept going down the second corridor, frantically thinking where the man could have gone.

Another splotch of blood changed his mind. The door right next to it wasn't quite latched properly. Stopping mid-step, he hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder. Making what was—in his mind—a rather rash decision, he entered the room and locked the door behind him.

The room was dark. Dark curtains covered the windows, only the smallest crack of sunlight peaked through, illuminating the dust that hung in the room.

The room appeared empty, but Leon wasn't convinced.

The smallest noise drew his attention to the wardrobe. Leon froze, heart beating faster. No matter what happened, he was in serious trouble. Either he was wrong, in which case he was about to die, or he was right, in which case…

Swallowing hard, he drew his sword and silently stepped forward, then threw the wardrobe open.

Leon couldn't keep his mouth from falling open in absolute shock.

"Merlin?" he asked softly. His sword dropped to his side. It was Merlin all right, unconscious and bleeding. He was wearing the same cloak, but the way he was sitting, the hood had slipped just enough for Leon to see his face.

Flabbergasted would be just about the biggest understatement of Leon's life.

Did Arthur know? was the first coherent question that entered his head.

His jumbled thoughts were interrupted by someone trying to open the door. Leon glanced between the door and Merlin in horrible uncertainty. He shut the wardrobe and crossed to the main door, quickly unlocking and opening it.

"All clear here," he told Sir Leret. The new knight was surprised to see Leon, but obediently went on to the next room. A green knight certainly couldn't question the prince's second-in-command.

Leon couldn't stay put, though. He would gather strange looks and draw attention to the room. He was supposed to be hunting for "Emrys." He joined Sir Burik in "searching" the next room.

This was going to be a long hunt.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Just to let you know, I absolutely loved writing this chapter. :) It came very easily to me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!**

Chapter Nineteen

It didn't take as long as Leon had expected to slip away from the hunt. As the knights split off into more directions to expand the search, Leon plastered a determined look on his face and took his own direction. No one noticed anything out of the ordinary.

He waited a few minutes before doubling back and returning to where he had left Merlin. Looking around anxiously, he hurried inside the room and locked the door, all too aware of what would happen if someone spotted him.

Merlin was exactly where he had left him, curled up inside the wardrobe. His clothes were horribly stained in blood. He hesitated for a moment, but the search had progressed far enough away, and no one else had any reason to come in here. Carefully, he pulled Merlin out of the wardrobe—the boy was every bit as light as he would expect—and laid him out on the floor, where he could more easily dress the wound.

First thing first, Leon took out his dagger and cut Merlin's cloak and shirt off, carefully pulling the cloth away from the wound. It was not pretty. A quick inspection showed Leon that the wound went straight through, front to back.

How had this happened? It was too narrow a wound to be from a sword or a dagger.

Another surprise presented itself when Leon noticed a horrible scar on the center of Merlin's chest. But that was an old wound. Tearing a strip of clean cloth from the now ruined cloak, Leon used it to wipe the blood away the best he could. He really needed water and proper cleaning supplies, but there was no way he could carry those around without attracting attention. He would have to make do with what he had.

He cut three more strips, folding two up into thicker square clothes, and using the third to tie them tightly into place. One more strip tied the wrap more securely.

Now what? He wiped the blood off his hands best he could while he thought. He'd done all that he could do. He was not an expert at treating wounds. All he knew was makeshift care to use in the field. Merlin needed proper care.

He could go to Gaius…

Did Gaius know? If he didn't…

Leon took a deep, shaky breath. He never, _never_ thought that he would be this deep in…treason. And that's exactly what he was committing.

He needed to talk to Arthur.

He carefully picked Merlin up brought him over to the bed. He drew the curtains shut and stashed the bloody clothes behind them as well before he snuck out of the room. At least he wasn't quite so exposed as lying on the floor, right in front of the doorway…

.~.

Arthur paced around his cell in frustration. "I'm not enchanted!" he shouted again, knowing it would get him nowhere. He'd tried everything—demanding, ordering, pleading (and that last one had been rather difficult for him.) The single guard posted outside his cell pointedly ignored him. It seemed everyone was thoroughly convinced that Arthur was enchanted after all.

What was happening? Had Merlin been found? He was pretty sure _someone_ would have told him if that was the case. Maybe…

Arthur punched the wall in frustration, succeeding in nothing except to send a shooting pain throughout his entire arm. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. He'd already sacrificed enough of his pride today.

When Leon strode down into the dungeon, Arthur fully expected the horrible news that the sorcerer had been caught. He waited for Leon to tell him that his manservant had betrayed him, but that he had been caught—arrested, or even killed, so the threat was over.

Instead, Leon gave Arthur a look he hadn't seen on the man since before his first battle as a knight—the look of a man who had no idea what he was doing, and no idea if he would come out of this alive.

When he spoke, though, his voice did not hold the same hesitancy. "I will guard the prince. Find Gaius," he ordered the guard on duty. "If anyone knows a way to break this enchantment's hold, it will be him."

"Yes sir!" The guard obediently scurried from the room, leaving Leon and Arthur alone.

"For heaven's sake, _I am not enchanted!" _Arthur shouted for possibly the hundredth time since he'd been tossed into this cursed cell. He moved to the front of his cell, gripping the bars so tight his knuckles turned white. "Leon, please, tell me. What's happened?"

Leon looked to the entrance nervously. "The sorcerer has so far managed to elude us."

"Oh thank goodness!" he closed his eyes in relief.

"Sire…" something in Leon's voice made Arthur's heart nearly stop again. "Did…did he really protect you?"

Arthur looked at him firmly.

"Yes."

"And you're not enchanted?"

"No."

Leon nodded, anxiously looking towards the entrance again. "I…did something." He lowered his voice significantly. "I helped him escape."

Arthur was struck speechless. His eyes widened in shock. Leon continued to look at him as though he was expecting to be condemned at any moment. So Arthur said the only thing he could.

"_Thank you." _Leon's shoulders slumped in obvious relief. "How?"

"I found him in an unused guest room near the throne room, I told the others the room was clear."

Arthur didn't know what to say. Leon had just committed treason and harbored a sorcerer from the king, all because Arthur had asked it. "Is he all right?"

"He's in bad shape," Leon admitted. "The wound in his shoulder cut all the way through. He's lost a lot of blood." He hesitated again. Arthur really wished he would stop doing that. Every time he hesitated Arthur got the horrible feeling that something was terribly, terribly wrong. "Arthur, do you know who he is?"

Uh oh. Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Do you?" he asked, equally softly. Leon nodded hesitantly. Arthur cast his own wary gaze towards the entrance. "Me too."

"How long have you known?"

"I met 'Emrys' three months ago. I just realized who he actually is today." Leon seemed surprised at that. "What are you going to do?" Arthur asked.

"I will do whatever you ask of me," Leon answered automatically.

"No, Sir Leon," Arthur said firmly. "As much as I want it to be, this cannot be my decision. It has to be yours."

Leon nodded slowly. "You trust him?" Arthur nodded. "Then so do I." Leon cast another glance. Any moment the guard would be returning with Gaius. "He needs help, though. I've treated him the best I can, but he needs more professional care. Do you think Gaius knows?" Leon asked.

Arthur sighed. "I don't know," he admitted, "but if I were to guess? I can't imagine how he could _not_ know."

"I'll take him then."

"Leon," Arthur said suddenly. Leon looked at him expectantly. "Don't tell them that I know."

Surprise entered his face again. "Why?" was all he asked.

"Because I need to talk to him in person."

Leon opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment footsteps echoed against the stone, announcing the arrival of two individuals. Soon the guard came into view, followed closely by Gaius.

The physician looked more warn than Arthur had ever seen him. Any doubt Arthur had about the man's involvement instantly fled upon sight of him. Gaius knew, and he was worried. He looked up and met Arthur's eyes briefly before turning his attention to Leon.

"You asked for me, Sir Leon?"

"Yes, Gaius, thank you. If Arthur's enchanted, we'll need to find a way to break it. Come with me, please." He strode out of the room. Gaius cast Arthur one more glance before following him out.

.~.

"Sir, I need to examine Prince Arthur if I am to determine what form of an enchantment has been used," Gaius pointed out.

Leon drew back so he was walking in step with the man. He spoke quietly. "You and I both know that he is not enchanted." Gaius stopped for a brief moment before returning to his quick gait.

"How can we now that?" he asked carefully.

Leon stopped before they reached the busier corridors. He was supposed to be hunting for a sorcerer right now. If the wrong person saw him, that would not be good. "Listen carefully," he said quickly and quietly, glancing around fervently. "Go to the second west corridor from the throne room and enter the third door on the right. It's unlocked, if only because I don't have a key to lock it from the outside. Make sure _no one_ sees you enter it."

His surprise was obvious. "Sir Leon, what—"

"You'll understand soon. I'll meet you there." With that, he strode away, taking the not-quite-direct route, leaving Gaius looking confused and anxious.

Every once in a while he was forced to duck into an alcove or an empty room in order to avoid being seen. He wasn't sure if his presence would actually get questioning glances, but he didn't want to take any chances. If anyone found out what he was doing…Well, he did not want to think about it, but it would not be good. Not for him, and not for Merlin, Gaius, or Arthur either.

Eventually he made it back to the corridor, arriving from the opposite direction than Gaius would have. He noticed the speck blood outside the door again. They should really get rid of that. It was practically asking for trouble. He entered quickly.

Gaius was already there, and he jumped so high and spun around with such terror on his face at the sound of the door opening that Leon thought he might have a heart attack.

"I've done all I can for him," Leon informed him. "I will help with what I can, but he needs your care."

The terror had not drained from Gaius's face, and he looked between his ward, lying on the bed, and the knight who stood before him. "Sir Leon," Gaius began slowly, "Do you…" but he couldn't finish the question. Leon had no trouble guessing what it was, though.

"Yes," he answered. "I know he is the sorcerer we're searching for." Gaius's jaw set into a grim line. It was a long moment of silence before he was able to speak.

"What do you plan to do?"

Leon stepped forward, looking down at the pale boy, still oblivious to the world around him. "He saved the prince's life. He has my silence."

Gaius, for his part, did not get overly dramatic at the words. He merely nodded in acceptance and returned his attention to the boy in question, examining him, muttering more to himself than to Leon. "I'll need some herbs and some fresh water to clean the wound, I'll have to sneak them down here. But I'm afraid all I can do is treat the wound in his shoulder."

"What else is there?" Leon asked in surprise.

Gaius hesitated. "He is extremely fatigued," he said at last. "Whatever magic he was using, combined with losing so much blood…it's put a strain on his body. He will need time to recover."

"Will he be all right?"

There was another moment's silence. "I believe so." If they could keep him hidden that long. And if no one started wondering where Arthur's manservant had disappeared to. "Does anybody else know?" Gaius asked suddenly. "Does Arthur?"

"No." The lie slipped off his tongue more easily than he had anticipated. "I was alone when I searched this room, and I've told no one."

Gaius stood up and drew the curtains around the bed once more. "I need to get some things from my chambers." He looked at Leon for the first time since beginning his examination. "Thank you, Sir Leon, for everything."

"No need to thank me, Gaius. It's a debt I must repay."

Gaius paused at the door, listening carefully for any sort of movement on the other side. When he was sure the coast was clear, he unlocked the door and the two men shuffled out—Gaius to get his supplies, and Leon to report the lack of success of his portion of the search.

6


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I was out of the country for a while without computer access. But I'm back home now. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Twenty

_Arthur watched the scene unfold before him, a strange confidence filling his chest as Merlin foiled each attack Anye threw at him. He may be Merlin, but he wasn't the Merlin Arthur knew. He was Emrys. He was powerful. Anye couldn't touch him. It was a strange concept to behold, but it was true…_

_Then Emrys, unable to dodge the latest spell, raised some sort of magical barrier instead to shield himself. First, Arthur couldn't suppress a grin. So he could create barriers, too. Anye wasn't as special as she seemed to think she was. But just as quickly, the smile faded into horror as his shield collapsed and Emrys dropped to his knees, the staff falling limply from his hand as he gripped his bleeding shoulder in pain._

_It was at that exact moment, when Merlin was struck down, that Arthur's heart froze in his chest as he realized something very important. He may be Emrys, he may be a sorcerer—or a warlock—and he may be very, very powerful. But he was still Merlin. He was still the clumsy, goofy manservant Arthur had always known._

_And he could die just as easily._

"_Merlin!"_

Arthur awoke with a start, sweat dripping down his back and gasping for breath. Slowly, he remembered that he was in the dungeons, and that the horrible nightmare he had just been suffering was not, in actuality, happening.

But it had happened. He had seen it happen right in front of him. The details were agonizingly vivid. It was bad enough he kept replaying the moment over and over again when he was awake. It was a thousand times worse when he was asleep and sucked back into the very moment.

He stood up in his cell, wincing as his stiff muscles protested from sleeping on the hard, cold, stone floor. He paced quickly.

Never would he make that mistake again. He'd thought Merlin to be the useless servant who couldn't hold his own in a fight. He'd thought Emrys to be the all-powerful warlock who couldn't be defeated. Both views had proven to be drastically false. Now he was being forced to balance those two identities, and it was not working very well. But one thing he did know, Merlin still needed looking after.

Leon had come down a second time, later that night. Wary of the listening guards, he informed Arthur that the sorcerer had still not been found, and that the search had shifted its focus to the city. Arthur understood. Merlin was still successfully hidden, and as the focus shifted away from the palace, he would most likely stay that way.

The relief that came in a renewed wave did not stay with him long, though. Arthur had seen his fair share of battle wounds, and Merlin had not looked good. Just because he was currently safe from the _king_ did not mean that he was _safe._

Arthur itched for more detailed information. Where was he? How badly injured was he? What was being done for him?

And why? Just…why?

And then there was the matter of that sorceress who had just vanished. What if she came back? What if she attacked Merlin again?

Arthur desperately wanted out of the dungeons. He wanted to see Merlin in person. Why did everyone always think he was enchanted when he did something a "proper" prince wasn't supposed to do?

Even as the annoyance resurfaced, Arthur knew what he had to do.

.~.

"I don't care! _Find them!"_

King Uther was not a happy man. Two sorcerers had attacked his son, both of them had disappeared without so much as a trace, Arthur was enchanted, and Gaius had not yet determined a way to break the enchantment. And now, on top of everything else, Sir Leon informed the complete and utter failure of the search.

How had this happened? Were his men completely incompetent?

"If they're nowhere in the palace or in the city, then expand the search to the villages! Dead or alive, I want them found!"

The knight bowed in obedience and left the room to do as ordered. Uther resisted the urge to stand and pace around the throne room. Kings do _not_ pace. It was something he had tried and failed to impress upon Arthur.

How could his son have become enchanted _again?_ This was starting to become a fairly regular occurrence. Thankfully Arthur always came to his senses eventually, but who's to say one of these days the enchantment wouldn't have more lasting damage? He could only hope that Gaius would find a way to reverse the spell's effect, or that when these sorcerers were at last dealt with, the enchantment would relinquish its hold over the prince.

Making up his mind, Uther strode from the throne room, thrusting both main doors open dramatically as he exited. The doors were heavy, but the extra exertion did wonders for his frustration. Uther walked quickly, his determined pace never faltering, until at last his feet took him to his destination.

.~.

"I am the Prince of Camelot and I _demand_ you tell me what is going on!"

The guard on duty simply ignored him, just as he'd been doing the _entire_ time Arthur had been imprisoned. Arthur was becoming more than a little bit irritated. The guard's lack of reaction was just not fitting in with the prince's plans.

"Why am I here?" Arthur demanded for the millionth time. The guard immediately jumped to his feet, and for a moment Arthur thought he had finally gotten a reaction, but then the real reason for the guard's abrupt response came into view as the king descended the steps into the dungeon.

"Your Majesty," the guard greeted with an immediate bow. Arthur's voice froze in his throat as his previous anger returned. He fought the anger down. He could _not _let his father know just how he was really feeling. Not if this was going to work.

"Leave us," the king demanded. The guard bowed once more before he obediently retreated up the stairs Uther had just descended. Uther walked further in, facing his son with a look of grim determination.

Arthur, for his part, was equally determined.

"Father, please tell me what on _earth_ is going on? Why am I locked in a cell?"

Uther started, and there was a moment's silence before he responded. "Do you not remember?" he said at last.

Arthur pasted his best clueless look on his face and shook his head mutely.

Another lengthy silence. "You've been imprisoned for defending a sorcerer," Uther finally responded, practically spitting the last word in his contempt. "You had to be physically restrained before we could deal with him. He escaped in the process.

Arthur's heart thumped harder. It's a wonder his father didn't hear it. But if he did, maybe it would just help sell his bit. "I did what?"

"You have no memory of defending him?" Uther asked again.

"I don't even remember a sorcerer!" Arthur exclaimed. He took a breath, as though forcing himself to calm down and process what he'd just been told. "You said he escaped. Has he been found?"

"He has not."

It was very difficult not to look pleased. There was another long moment of silence between them.

"Sire, I…" Arthur's voice trailed off. "I don't know what I was thinking."

His father's posture did not change. He did not relax in the knowledge that his son had "come to his senses." Not that Arthur had really expected that. "I believe you have been enchanted," Uther explained finally. Arthur nodded mutely again. "Gaius has been seeking a way to break the spell."

"Perhaps it has faded on its own. I…feel like myself."

"I will take no chances. The sorcerer could be manipulating your words. I will not be tricked into freeing you so you can go aid him. Gaius will examine you. If he determines the enchantment is truly broken, then we will go from there."

Arthur nodded again. "I understand."

The king left without another word. A moment later the guard returned. Arthur turned his back and faced the cell wall as he slowly let out a shaky breath, and smiled.

.~.

Gaius carefully dabbed the wound with the wet sponge, removing the dry, caked blood. The danger of blood loss was no longer an issue, as the bleeding had all but stopped completely. With time and proper diet, Merlin should make a full recovery. He would be safe.

If they could keep him hidden.

If no one noticed Merlin's mysterious disappearance.

If the sorceress didn't return.

If Leon kept his word.

Gaius forced his brain to stop going over these same discomforting thoughts for the thousandth time. There were just too many "ifs" at play. He didn't like it.

Thankfully the only person who had reason to notice Merlin's absence was currently in the dungeons. Gaius could only hope he stayed there for a while. The longer Arthur was in confinement, the longer Merlin had to heal.

Gaius threaded a small needle. With a steady, practiced hand he stitched the wound shut in a matter of seconds.

A small knock on the door made Gaius nearly stab his ward before he could cut the needle free.

"It's Leon," came a soft voice from the other side.

Letting out his held breath, Gaius quickly cut the thread before crossing to the door. His heartbeat increased significantly as his hand paused for a split second at the doorknob. But he grit his teeth and opened the door, thoroughly relieved when he saw Leon standing before him, and only Leon.

Leon pushed passed him, shutting and locking the door once more, routine by now.

"How is he?"

A small twinge of guilt came over Gaius at Leon's obvious concern, but it was hard not to question the knight's intentions. All Gaius could do was hope that his misgivings were entirely misplaced.

"I was just stitching his wound. Come help me turn him over so I can stitch the exit wound."

Obediently, Leon gently rolled Merlin up onto his side and held him there while Gaius stitched his back.

"What caused this?" Leon asked. "No sword or dagger would cause a wound like this. A spike?"

"It was probably a spell. I haven't exactly gotten a chance to ask him what happened."

"He still hasn't woken up, then? Should we be concerned?"

Gaius paused for a moment to cut the needle free once more. "I am always concerned about him," he said shortly. "But, this is to be expected. It could be several more days before he wakes up."

"It's been three days already," Leon pointed out. Gaius didn't answer. They both already knew that. Leon took a deep breath, and Gaius could tell he was biting back more questions. "Well, we'll keep him safe until then." He said firmly. Gaius looked up, surprised at the level of determination in his voice. "In the meantime, the reason I came was because Uther's asked for you. He wants you to examine the prince."

Gaius frowned. "Didn't I already supposedly do that?"

"Apparently Arthur's claiming no memory of the past few days. His Majesty wants you to confirm if the 'enchantment' has been broken, or if this is another trick."

The physician very nearly laughed, but the laughter died in his throat. "Arthur's a clever one, that's for sure."

"You don't seem too happy about that."

He looked at his ward as he thought through his options. "If Merlin's missing for long, people will start to notice, but…for a few days at least, besides me, Arthur's the only one who would really notice his absence."

"What are you going to do?"

There was a brief silence. "What I have to do."

.~.

Leon sat with Merlin as Gaius went to examine the prince. He wasn't sure why he did it. There was nothing he could do for the boy that Gaius hadn't already seen to, and he certainly wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. There was no danger of any of the guards finding him here, not anymore. There was no practical reason for Leon to stay.

So why did he?

If asked, he could not have answered that question.

Leon sat on the chair that Gaius had vacated, staring at the sleeping face of a sorcerer. How had he gotten here? Magic, treason, doubt…When did his life become so complicated?

Everything Leon had ever known—every law, every childhood lesson, every logical thought—everything screamed for him to take the dagger from his belt and plunge it into that pulsing, magical heart.

Everything, that is, except his conscience, his sense of duty, and his gut instinct. His hand never even twitched towards his dagger.

How could such an open, carefree person hold such a dark secret?

Although, looking at his face now, it was a little more believable. There was no goofy grin, no friendly banter. There was simply a calm face. Peaceful. Serene. Leon could almost imagine those eyes snapping open, no longer their normal blue, but a blazing gold. All goofiness gone, and in its place: power.

Leon wasn't sure how long he sat there. Maybe minutes, maybe hours. He just sat, and watched, and thought.

Without warning, blue eyes snapped open, and with a gasp of breath, Merlin sat bolt upright, staring sightlessly in front of him.

7


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Gaius, having reported to Uther to receive his official instructions, now followed the king into the dungeons. He was not looking forward to this conversation.

But then again, he thought, fighting a small smile, he kind of was.

The guard waiting for them silently slipped the key into the lock and let Gaius into Arthur's cell. The prince was on his feet in moments, obviously eagerly awaiting his clearance.

The cell door clanked shut behind him as the guard resumed his post outside, he and Uther both watching them intently. Gaius, for once, was grateful for the watching eyes.

"Hello, Sire," Gaius greeted heavily. "If you would please take a seat."

Arthur silently obeyed, sitting down on the straw-covered floor and waiting for Gaius to get on with it. The physician took his own place in front of the prince. "I suppose you know why I'm here.'

Arthur nodded. "To make sure I'm not enchanted. Anymore," he added hastily.

Gaius placed two fingers on the side of Arthur's neck, feeling for his pulse. He quickly concluded that his heartbeat was completely normal. But Gaius wasn't about to tell Arthur that. Instead, he frowned and let a soft "hm" escape his lips.

Arthur's eyes narrowed, but he wisely didn't say anything. Uther, on the other hand, was not so patient. "What is it?" he asked immediately.

"His pulse is quick."

"And that means?"

"Probably nothing," Gaius admitted.

"Probably?"

Gaius said nothing, fighting the urge to smile. He could already tell this was going to work. Instead, he motioned to a torch outside the cell. "Could you bring me that please?" he asked the guard. The guard, looking mildly confused, took the torch from its mount on the wall, opened the door once more, and brought it to him. Gaius held it close to Arthur, though not close enough to burn, passing the flame in front of his face, observing his pupils' response to the light and shadow. He frowned again before handing the torch back to the guard. "Sire, have you had a headache?" he asked cautiously.

Arthur frowned as well. He was not liking the way this was going. "Why?" he asked.

"Answer the question, Arthur," Uther commanded.

Arthur remained silent for a moment. "A little," he finally admitted.

Gaius fought the urge to smile at the amount of hesitation in Arthur's voice, and the way the king shifted in suspicion. Of course Gaius had already guessed Arthur would have a headache. Who could _not_ have a headache after everything that had happened? And added to the stress of the past few days was the tension of a prince, used to sleeping in a soft feather bed, sleeping on a hard, stone floor that would undoubtedly increase tension in his neck and shoulder muscles. A headache was almost guaranteed.

"Gaius?" Uther asked after a lengthy silence.

"Possibly nothing, Sire," Gaius repeated.

"Damn the possibilities," Uther snapped. "What are you thinking?"

Gaius waited a moment, looking Arhtur in the eyes, showing his "hesitation" before standing and turning to face the king. "The headache may be from fighting this enchantment. It may be a sign that the enchantment has indeed been broken."

Uther paused. "And his pulse?"

"Arthur may only be nervous about this examination, nervous in case he is still being manipulated and doesn't know it."

"You do not sound certain. What is the other possibility?"

Gaius hesitated again. "Both could be signs of foreign manipulation," he said at last.

"What!" came Arthur's indignant exclamation. Gaius couldn't help but wince. He was not looking forward to the moment Arthur actually was released.

"I knew it," Uther said, voice low and dangerous. "I knew it was a trick!"

"We don't know that, Your Majesty," Gaius corrected. "Like I said, it is entirely possible that these symptoms are natural."

"Enough!" Uther snapped. "If there is any chance at all that he is being manipulated, I will not take the risk. He will remain here until you determine there is no longer _any_ possibility of him being enchanted."

Gaius bowed his head in submission. "Might I suggest he be moved to his rooms under house arrest? The odds of the enchantment holding this long after the sorcerer has left is slight, and the guards could easily—"

"No," Uther cut him off. "I will not risk it. The dungeons are more secure."

"Of course, Sire. If it pleases you, I will examine him, here, again tomorrow."

"This is ridiculous!" Arthur shouted. "Gaius, tell him I'm fine!" Gaius faced Arthur in a silent apology, all the while trying not to smile. "Tell him!" Arthur insisted again.

"That's enough Arthur!" Uther cut in. "You of all people should know how dangerous these situations can be! If you were really my son, you would understand this necessity. Your protests are only making me more convinced that you are still compromised." He turned to the guard. "Under no circumstances are you to release Prince Arthur from this cell without my expressed permission. Is that clear?"

The guard nodded his compliance. "Yes, Sire."

Arthur's face was so red with fury, he looked lie he was about to explode.

"In the meantime, Sire, I will begin looking into remedies, just in case."

"Thank you Gaius." The two of them left the dungeons together, leaving a cursing Arthur behind them. Only when Gaius bowed his respects and walked in his own direction did he allow his lips to stretch in a mischievous grin that would rival Merlin's.

.~.

As consciousness slowly floated back to Merlin, a sense of urgency and desperation filled his chest. Why was he running? Why was he fighting? He couldn't remember. But he knew it was important. He knew he had to keep running.

He had to get away. Now. He had to run!

His eyes snapped open, and in an instant he was upright. But his vision was blurry, his eyes struggling to comprehend what was happening around him. The sense of urgency doubled at that realization and he frantically tried to gain his feet, but he was constricted by something.

A pair of hands gripped him firmly, holding him into place. He felt the magic well up in him and leap out of him, pushing his attacker back. The use of magic only succeeded in further disorienting him. He kicked violently, but the effort to free his legs only succeeded in unbalancing himself further. He felt himself topple over, and amidst his panic he still had time to wonder where on earth he was.

The attacker returned, hands turning him over from his awkward position, and pinning him to the ground, trying to cease his thrashings. Dimly, Merlin became aware of a voice, distant and urgent. His magic bubbled again, waiting to be cast forward again.

"Merlin!" Instantly, Merlin's struggles ceased. The voice was still faint, but Merlin distinctly recognized his name. When his thrashing halted, the urgency left the voice, and the grip on his shoulders loosened, but was not removed entirely. The person kept talking. Merlin struggled to understand. It was softer now, soothing. "All right," Merlin thought he picked out, along with "safe."

Merlin took deep breaths, filling his aching lungs as his pounding heart slowly steadied. Gradually, his vision began to focus, and a face came into view. With a few hard blinks, the face of Sir Leon appeared.

Merlin hissed a sharp breath as shooting pain came to his attention, expanding out from his shoulder. His hand reached to stop the pain, but Leon stopped the motion. "Better to leave it alone," he said apologetically. Merlin nodded mutely, and settled for clenching his fists and clenching his jaw, taking sharp breaths from his nose. Leon let go of him, and a moment later something was placed to his lips. "Drink," Leon instructed. Merlin obediently tipped his head forward and drank the vial's contents, then let his head drop back once more.

For several minutes, nothing changed. Merlin wasn't sure how long exactly he laid there, Leon sitting at his side, until the potion at last began to take its effect and the pain dimmed. When it did, he looked around him with more clarity and took in his surroundings.

He was still tangled up, and for the first time he realized that his restraints were no more than bed covers, twisted around him now from his thrashings. He was in a bedroom, though an unfamiliar one. Somehow he had managed to tear down one of the bed hangings. He spotted a pile of bloodied bandages in one corner of the room, and a variety of vials and jars sitting on the otherwise empty table. Merlin chanced a glance at what was causing him so much pain, and saw a neatly wrapped bandage covering his otherwise bare shoulder.

"W—where am I?" he managed to ask, dropping his head back down to rest a bit.

There was a long moment's silence. So long, in fact, that Merlin began wondering if maybe Leon didn't know the answer. But eventually the knight answered. "We're in an unused guest room. West of the throne room, two corridors down."

West of the throne room. Two corridors down. "Why?" he asked.

Once again, there was a long silence. "You were hurt," he said at last. "It wasn't safe to move you."

Hurt. His shoulder. There had been blood. And dizziness. And…magic.

In a renewed wave of panic, Merlin remembered just why he had awoken fighting.

Arthur. Anye. Knights of Camelot. He'd run away. He'd been Emrys, so he'd run away and hidden.

And then he'd woken up, and blasted a knight of Camelot with magic.

Merlin frantically tried to get up again, only to have Leon once again restrain him.

"Please," he begged weakly, "Please let me go, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to! Please, d-don't kill me! I'd—I'd never—"

"Merlin!" His weak struggles were getting him nowhere. He reached for his magic to use if absolutely necessary, though he was loathe to use it against Leon. The reach, however, sent anther stream of panic through his head, as his magic flickered, dangerously weak.

"Please…" he begged again, his weakened muscles giving up on him. "Please, let me go…"

"Merlin," Leon said again, his grip loosening slightly. He sighed. "I know you're Emrys."

Merlin had guessed as much. But actually hearing it made him positively freeze in fear. This was it. Even if he escaped, even if by some miracle Leon let him go, he'd still have to leave Camelot. He'd never see Gaius again. Or Arthur. Or Gwen…

"W—what are you going to do?"

"I _also_ know that you saved Arthur's life, and that Arthur trusts you. Or should I say both of you—Merlin and Emrys."

Merlin didn't answer. He just stared up at Leon in confusion.

"Come on," Leon said, pulling on the bedspread and freeing Merlin from his self-made captivity. "Let's get you back into bed." He leaned down and pulled Merlin's good arm around his shoulder, hoisting him up. Merlin leaned against him, but even so his legs could barely support his weight and he collapsed on top of the bed as soon as he was able.

Once resituated, Merlin repeated his question.

"Look," Leon began, rubbing his temples, "you've been unconscious for three days, during which Gaius and I have both been guarding this room. If I wanted to have you executed, you'd be dead by now."

Merlin, heart still pounding, nodded slowly, and sat back, head reeling, both from this new information and from the physical struggling.

"How did I escape?" he asked.

Leon righted the chair that had tipped over and sat down again. "I found you. I directed the search away from this room."

"Why?" The question sounded more accusatory than Merlin had meant it to.

"You saved Arthur's life," Leon repeated. "No one should die for that. Arthur seems to think so, too."

"Arthur!" Merlin practically shouted, once again trying to leap to his feet in agitation, only to be forced back down by Leon.

"Would you stop that!" Leon demanded in irritation. "Gaius only just managed to stitch your wounds. He'll skin me if I let you rip them open again."

Merlin obediently resettled onto the bed, determined not to panic anymore, no matter how many unpleasant revelations were left. "Arthur knows about me?"

"No." Merlin's shoulders slumped in relief, though a twinge of regret intruded. "I told him I had found Emrys. Not…you."

Merlin let that sink in for a moment, before asking the inevitable question. "Are you going to tell him?"

Leon paused. "I don't know," he said at last.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Arthur was fuming. Fuming! Gaius _knew_ that he was not enchanted. Arthur _knew _that he knew. So why was he being so _difficult!_ Quick pulse, headaches…ha! And Uther had swallowed every word. It made Arthur wonder just how many times Gaius had quite successfully fooled them all. Maybe it wasn't such a wonder that Merlin had managed to keep such a secret, after all, with Gaius to cover for him. Arthur was still fuming when he fell into a fitful sleep that night.

The next morning, however, his anger had calmed. After all, Arthur may know that Gaius knew he wasn't enchanted. But Gaius didn't know that Arthur knew that he knew. And Gaius did not know that Arthur knew about Merlin. Leon had told him that Merlin was still unconscious, which meant that they hadn't been able to move him. Arthur was bound to "notice" Merlin's disappearance once he was let out of the dungeons and returned to normal duty.

Gaius would return to examine him again later that day. Maybe he should just tell the physician and get it over with.

What would Merlin say when he found out Arthur knew? In spite of himself, in spite of everything that had happened, Arthur cringed at the thought.

Unbidden, an image of a cloaked figure, standing in front of him in a dark forest, came into his mind. Emrys reached up to lower his hood, but his hands paused. _"No. One day you'll learn who I am, Arthur, but it isn't time yet."_

Merlin didn't _want_ him to know. But he did. Arthur had to tell Merlin himself. He owed it to the boy. And Arthur knew, without a doubt, that if he told Gaius, Gaius would tell Merlin. So he'd have to suffer the dungeons a little bit longer—until Gaius found a legitimate excuse for Merlin to disappear. Or, possibly, until Merlin actually healed.

_If_ he healed.

Arthur promptly told his inner voice to shut up.

Merlin would live. He _had_ to live.

So Arthur sat back to wait for Gaius's inevitable visit.

.~.

Merlin held still through Gaius's thorough examination as the physician checked his range of motion, reflexes, memory, coordination, and any other thing he could possibly thing of.

It started out fine. Even the memory tests were fine, with fairly standard questions. What's your name? Merlin. Who am I? Gaius. Where are we? Camelot. Where are you from? Ealdor. But then Gaius started asking him questions about what had happened, and Merlin felt himself at a loss of just how to answer.

"Was this wound from a spell?" Gaius asked casually, slowly moving Merlin's injured arm around to test his range of motion.

"…Yes."

"What spell was it?"

Merlin cleared his throat awkwardly, as his eyes briefly traveled to Leon, who sat watching from his place at the table. "_Concisus deputo,_" he finally muttered. He glanced at the knight again to gage his reaction, but Leon's face remained unchanged.

"Ah," Gaius answered, seeming oblivious to Merlin's discomfort. "You're lucky then. That spell could easily have cut through your heart. It even slices through barriers." Merlin nodded mutely. Gaius's eyebrow rose at his response. "You tried to shield it, didn't you?"

Merlin again glanced at Leon. "I dodged most of them…" he muttered. "The last one…was too quick."

Leon must have noticed one glance too many, for he finally shifted from his stock still position. "I should go," he said as he rose. "I don't want anyone to notice my absence." He caught Merlin's eye and gave a soft nod of understanding before he left.

Merlin let out his breath.

"He won't turn you in, you know," Gaius informed him, releasing his arm and crossing to the table. "He's had plenty of opportunity. Mentioning a few spells is hardly going to change his mind."

Merlin rotated his own arm experimentally, wincing when he rotated a little too far. He remained silent. Gaius chose not to push the issue.

"So now that Leon's gone, and I don't have to pry your teeth apart, what happened?"

"I broke in, I fought her. She hurt me, but couldn't beat me, so…" he trailed off.

"So?" Gaius prompted.

Merlin shook his head. "I don't know. She just…left. It was some kind of a test. But I'm not sure exactly who she was testing."

Gaius was silent for a long moment, as he applied an ointment to the wound and slowly rewrapped it. "Will she be back?" he finally asked.

Merlin didn't have an answer.

.~.

In the end, Arthur was in the dungeons for a week before he was at last released. Gaius told him that Uther had insisted upon a week's observation to make sure the prince was no longer compromised, but Arthur knew it had really been the physician's idea.

Leon had visited Arthur often, keeping Arthur as informed as possible with a listening guard in the room. Occasionally, Leon invented a reason to get rid of the extra ears and Arthur was gifted with more precise information. So consequently, he knew that Merlin was now in his own rooms. On the fifth day from the attack, Gaius had finally deemed Merlin fit to walk, so on the sixth day, Merlin and Gaius carefully made their way back to the physician's chambers, taking deserted corridors whenever possible in order to avoid unwanted attention.

Now, Merlin had contracted some sort of "illness" that was quite contagious, and he was confined to his rooms to avoid spreading the disease. So as a result, when Arthur was finally released, he _still_ could not confront him.

It was a brilliant plan, on Gaius's part. Annoyingly brilliant.

His one attempt to see the idiot had been met with flat refusal. Arthur resigned himself to more waiting.

What irked him more than anything was that Arthur couldn't see for himself how the idiot was healing. Leon told him Merlin would be fine, that it was only a matter of time, but Arthur would have felt so much better to see with his own eyes that this was true.

He stubbornly refused to let any other servant care for him, however temporary the arrangement might be.

In the meantime, Arthur spent the next several days trying to put his thoughts in order.

Merlin is Emrys.

He thought back over the last couple of years, trying to think of anything he must have missed.

The first thing that came to mind was the dragon he had supposedly slain. He now found it rather odd that only Merlin was able to confirm this act of heroism. Arthur couldn't even remember placing the final blow. Had Merlin really been the one to kill it? That seemed far more likely.

The next thing he thought of was Ealdor. He thought back to that moment he saw the dust begin to spin in the air as the wind picked up into a fighting force. He remembered seeing Merlin and that boy…Will?...standing there, and knowing that _one_ of them had conjured the twister. He'd never really believed it was Merlin. Then when Will had confessed…the matter had seemed settled. But now…

_Whatever happens out there today, please don't think any differently of me._

He'd thought those words were referring to protecting a sorcerer, now he knew differently.

Arthur stopped dead from pacing in his room as another memory hit him. He knew that _Merlin_ could never have knocked him out with a lump of wood! That whole episode with Sophia made much more sense now. Though he still didn't know what he possibly could have been thinking that week.

And with Vivian! Merlin's the one who realized he'd been enchanted. Heck, Merlin had been the one to tell Gwen how to _break_ the enchantment. And Arthur had never found that even a little bit odd? And he called _Merlin_ an idiot…

So many questions. So many things he wanted to know…

He sighed, plopping down heavily into a chair.

As much as he'd love to sit here and ponder past mysterious events, now that he had been cleared and released he had duties to return to. He couldn't pace around his room all day. It was evening now, so he could get away with it. But he had to be up bright and early the next day. He really needed to get some sleep. Reluctantly, head still spinning with new details, as it had been constantly, Arthur readied himself for bed.

.~.

Bored.

…

So bored.

…

Bored bored bored bored bored bored bored…

As brilliant as Gaius's "contagious disease" cover had been, it left him completely deprived of anyone's company except for Gaius's. Which meant, that whenever the physician left to do…anything (do his rounds, collect herbs, comfort Uther about not catching the two devious evil sorcerers bent on Camelot's destruction…) then Merlin was left with very little to do.

He would have been happy to at least walk around the chambers a little bit, but _no._ Gaius had made him promise to stay in his own room. That way if anyone happened to wander up, they wouldn't have to invent a reason that highly-contagious Merlin was up and about and actually didn't need to be in isolation. So he was stuck in his room.

He would have still been content, had he actually been able to practice some magic. However, his magic was still dangerously weak. Merlin was surprised just how much he had drained himself. After all, he hadn't used _that_ much magic. Even in his mad escape dash. Gaius thought maybe his magic was otherwise occupied—trying to speed up his healing process. Merlin hoped that's all it was.

All that to say, Merlin was bored.

He was currently flipping through his magic book. It wasn't nearly as exciting when he couldn't actually _try_ any of the new spells, but at least it kept him somewhat occupied.

Some footsteps crossing the main room and up the stairs, followed by a soft knock on the door, made Merlin jump in panic. He pulled the covers up to hide the book. He tried to remain quiet, hoping that whoever it was would just assume he was sleeping and go away.

"It's Leon."

Oh.

Merlin hesitated a moment, fingering the binding on the book. "Come in, then," he said at last.

Obediently, Leon opened the door, but he remained standing awkwardly in the doorway. Merlin hadn't really seen the knight since he'd moved back to these rooms. Often enough, he would hear him discussing his condition with Gaius, but he never came past the steps.

The silence between them became almost too awkward to handle, but Merlin certainly wasn't going to be the one to break it.

"How are you feeling?" Leon asked at last. It sounded horribly normal.

"Better." It was short, and Merlin couldn't help but wince at how sharp the word sounded. He hadn't meant it to.

More awkward silence stretched between them.

Leon finally released a long sigh of defeat. "Look," he said, "I know you don't trust me." Merlin's stomach clenched in guilt. As much as he _wanted_ to trust him, Leon was right. "But you have my word, I will not hand you over to the king."

Merlin continued to finger the hidden book, looking down at the covers as he pondered how he could respond. When a creak in the floorboard announced Leon's intended retreat, He finally spoke. "What about Arthur?" Leon stopped, turning to him again. He raised one eyebrow in a manner that looked almost like Gaius. Merlin took a breath and continued. "You've always been Arthur's man, not Uther's. Will you…are you planning on telling him?" He'd asked Leon this once before and hadn't received an answer. This time, he didn't intend to let the subject drop.

Leon didn't answer for a long moment. "I think…you should be the one to tell him."

Merlin felt his stomach plummet. Was Leon going to make him tell Arthur himself?

"Meaning?"

"Meaning Arthur will not find out because of me."

Oh. It was…exactly what Merlin had been hoping for. So why did he feel disappointed?

"I'm sorry," he said at last, "for not trusting you. I just…I've spent so much time wondering what would happen if anyone found out about me. How they'd react…I can't tell you how many different scenarios have gone through my head about how Arthur or Gwen find out…"

"But…?"

"But…I never thought _you_ would. You…surprised me."

It seemed like a long time those words hung in the air, but then Leon did something Merlin never expected—he laughed.

"_I_ surprised _you_?" he said. "Well that's a touch ironic."

Some stubborn piece of reservation melted away in Merlin, and he laughed too. The hand that had unconsciously clenched his book relaxed slightly.

"What do you have there?" Leon asked. Instantly, Merlin's hand clenched again, but he forced his muscles to relax. Really, there was no reason at this point to _not_ show him. Hesitantly, Merlin pulled the book free.

"It's…a spell book."

Leon's eyes widened. "Where did you get one?"

"It was a gift."

"May I…see it?" Surprised, Merlin nodded, and opened the book up to the page he'd been reading. "You can read this?" Leon asked, squinting at the unfamiliar letters and symbols.

Merlin spent the next hour doing something he never thought he would do: reading and explaining a book of magic to a knight of Camelot. Sometimes destiny had a strange sense of humor.

**A/N: Getting really close to the end now. There will be either one or two more chapters. Oh I can't wait! I've been waiting for this next chapter. ^_^ **

**And this fic has reached over **_**900 REVIEWS! I'm so excited! **_**I never thought this fic would get such a response. Do you think we could hit 1,000 before it's over? We'll see.**

**Thanks everyone for your support! Next chapter underway.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

It was another week before Merlin was declared healed of his contagious "illness" and allowed to return to work. Through Leon, Arthur knew that meant Merlin was well on the way to full recovery, and that he could move about with enough ease that he would not give himself away.

Also thanks to Leon, Arthur was given some advance warning that Merlin would be returning to his duties, which gave Arthur enough time to prepare himself.

At last, the fateful morning arrived, with breakfast.

Merlin came stumbling in—late, as usual, and Arthur couldn't help but grin at the small degree of familiarity, so he turned his back to the door to hide it.

"Late _again_, Merlin?" he drawled. He'd already planned this whole conversation out. Time to see how true his plans would hold. "Honestly. You think a week's rest would help you wake up on time for _once._"

"Well excuse me for being _sick_ and in _complete isolation!_ Do you have any idea how maddening it is to have no one to talk to and nothing to do for so _long_?"

He was exaggerating, and Arthur knew it. He knew Leon had visited him frequently this last week, and he always had Gaius, of course. He watched for the subtle signs of Merlin's true "sickness," though, and found them in abundance. The tray was balanced mostly on Merlin's left arm, taking the weight away from his injured shoulder, and Merlin was very careful about transferring the tray to the table. His movements were also stiffer than usual.

The differences were so slight that Arthur would have missed them had he not known exactly what he was looking for, or at least he'd have fallen for the "not-quite-well, but well-enough-to-work" lie.

"Can't you just talk to yourself?" he jibed. "There can't be that much difference between talking to yourself and talking to someone _else _who's just trying to ignore you anyway."

Arthur planted himself at the table, taking a hearty bite of sausage, ordering himself to be patient. Merlin would bring the subject up, he knew he would. It would be strange for him _not_ to.

But by the time Arthur was half way through his breakfast, Merlin still hadn't spoken up about any remotely important topic. He'd simply chattered on more meaninglessness, fixed the bed covers, and pulled out the prince's clothes for the day.

_Be patient, Arthur…._he ordered himself again. _He'll ask…he'll ask…_

At last, he asked. "So…what exactly happened?"

Arthur resisted the urge to grin in triumph.

"Happened with what?"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "With that sorceress, of course! Before your father could finish the preparations in the square, there was a huge commotion in there! I wasn't allowed anywhere near, though. So all my information's second hand, and you know how unreliable that can be around here."

Arthur set his fork down and sighed heavily. "So what exactly_ have _you heard?" he asked carefully.

"I heard that there was a second sorcerer—who I'm assuming was Emrys?—who apparently was in league with Anye and who also enchanted you into defending him. Oh, and that they both got away."

"And how much of that do you believe?"

"That they both got away."

Arthur laughed. "Yup, that's about it."

"So what _really_ happened?"

Arthur was tempted—oh so tempted—to make up some random nonsense and watch Merlin's eyes bug out, seeing as the servant obviously knew _exactly_ what had happened in that room. But he resisted the urge—barely.

"Emrys came, and they fought. Eventually…" Arthur paused. He still didn't know what to think or what to do about this part, "Anye just left. She dropped all the barriers, and left Emrys to my father's mercy." Which meant that she was still a threat. But there was nothing they could do.

Well, nothing _he_ could do.

"Emrys was hurt," Arthur explained needlessly. "He had...difficulty getting away, but he managed. And then my father threw me in the dungeons!" He was still peeved about that.

Merlin was silent for a long moment. "Do you—" he stopped, staring at something. Arthur followed his gaze to the staff that lay in the corner of the room. It was the staff that Emrys had dropped. The crystal was no longer glowing, but there was no mistaking it for an ordinary staff. "How—" he stopped himself, probably realizing that he shouldn't have seen it before. "What is _that?_" he asked instead.

"This," he said, walking to the corner and taking the staff in hand, "is Emrys's staff." He thumbed the crystal, studying it carefully. "I figured he could steal it back more easily if it was in here, rather than in the vaults." He replaced it and then went back to the window.

Merlin continued to stare, then turned and stared at Arthur instead. "You stole a magic staff, and just have it sitting in here, waiting to be stolen again."

"Basically."

Merlin blinked a couple of times. "Oh." Was all he said.

Arthur looked at him carefully. "It was the least I could do for him," he said slowly. "After all, he lost it defending me." Merlin remained silent.

"What changed your mind about him?" he finally asked.

Arthur started. He hadn't expected that question.

"About Emrys," Merlin asked again. "Before Anye came, you didn't seem all that sure of his loyalties. But now…"

Arthur understood the real question, the one that Merlin could never ask._ Why do you trust me?_ He pondered his answer.

"Did you know…for a while I suspected Emrys of causing the earthquakes," he confessed. Merlin's eyes widened, filled with genuine hurt that he couldn't even hope to mask. And Arthur realized that, while Merlin had deduced Arthur's wavering trust, he had not grasped the full extent of his doubts. "I didn't really believe it was him," Arthur assured him hurriedly. "Guinevere helped me figure that much out…"

"Gwen?" he asked in surprise.

"And then when Anye appeared, she just confirmed that all my doubts had been stupid and groundless. And I realized something else, too."

"What was that?"

"You."

The blood drained from Merlin's face. "W—what?"

"That you were right," Arthur continued, as relief practically radiated from Merlin. Arthur knew exactly how that one word had sounded. "Emrys…he stopped the earthquakes. Anye may not have known it was him, but it was. He'd been fighting these earthquakes the entire time, even while I was busy doubting him."

Merlin continued to stare at him. "So…you really trust him now? For real, this time?"

Arthur faced Merlin, seeing the uncertainty in him, and realized that if Merlin was going to tell him the truth, Arthur had to put to rest those fears—once and for all.

He placed a hand on Merlin's good shoulder and looked at him firmly, looking him in the eye. Merlin seemed slightly unnerved to suddenly be the focus of attention. "I will never doubt him again," Arthur said firmly. "No matter who he really is, Emrys has my trust. I will never doubt him, and I will never betray him."

He waited a second for Merlin to absorb that message, then returned to his breakfast. It was Merlin's turn now.

Merlin took his time collecting the dirty clothes that had accumulated in his absence, gathering them all into a basket. Arthur could feel the tension mounting in the silence as Merlin mulled over his options.

"I'll take this down to the laundry," he said at last. "Then I'll clean the stables and your armor before lunch. I'm sure they both need work, by now." With that, he walked to the door.

"_What?"_ Arthur exclaimed in disbelief, jumping to his feet again. That was _it?_

Merlin stopped in shock. "What?" he asked, honestly bewildered. Arthur just stared at him, mouth gaping, at a complete loss of what to say.

He'd thought Merlin would tell him. Once Merlin knew Arthur trusted him, he really thought Merlin would tell him. He couldn't just _leave!_

"That…that's it?" he asked. Merlin just continued to stare at him.

"Is there something else you'd like me to do instead?" he asked at last.

Arthur, for all his planning for this conversation, was at a loss of words. "No," he said at last. "No, you can go."

Merlin left with a look of bewilderment on his face.

Arthur stared at the closed door for a moment in shocked silence. Then his frustration took hold. Suddenly several items on the table ended up thrown against various walls.

Merlin _still_ didn't trust him? Merlin was supposed to _tell_ him. That's how this conversation had been supposed to _go._ But _no!_ Why did Merlin always have to be so blasted difficult!

After several minutes of angry pacing, Arthur sat down hard in his chair, fidgeting in agitation. Then without warning he stood up again, storming out the door.

If Merlin wasn't going to tell him of his own free will, then Arthur would just have to _make_ him.

.~.

It wasn't until Arthur burst through the stable's front doors, startling several horses in the process, along with a barn cat, that he remembered that Merlin had actually left to do the laundry, not to tend to the stables. After a moment of confused silence, the cat sauntered up and sat down in front of him. His tail twitched once, whether amused or annoyed, Arthur wasn't sure.

As Arthur stood awkwardly in the middle of the stables, empty save for the animals, his resolve slowly faded. What was he doing? They couldn't very well have this conversation in the stables. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, before allowing his arms to drop to his sides in defeat.

Ten minutes later, with Arthur stood lost in his thoughts, the door behind him creaked open, startling Arthur out of his reverie. He turned to face the surprised face of Merlin.

"Arthur?" he asked, allowing the door to close behind him. "What are you doing here?"

Immediately, Arthur's frustration mounted again. He wanted to grab Merlin by the arms and shake the truth out of him. He opened his mouth to ask Merlin just how big an idiot he took him for, to ask him if he _really_ didn't think he had figured it out yet, but an entirely different question came out instead.

"What happened to your father?"

Merlin's eyes widened. "W-what?" His eyes roamed around the empty stables, searching for any listening ears.

"Your father," Arthur repeated. "You told Anye that my father betrayed him."

"Oh, that was—that was just…um, a lie."

Arthur looked at him incredulously. "A lie," he repeated.

"Yes. I just…I was trying to reason with her."

Arthur stared at him. That's exactly what he had originally assumed. But he knew it wasn't true. Uther really had betrayed Merlin's father. Arthur didn't know how, or why, or when, but he knew it had happened. "You're a horrible liar," he informed the boy.

Merlin paled, but he forced a chuckle. "Well, obviously, since she didn't believe me."

"Merlin!" Arthur scolded. "You can trust me. You know you can! Just…who was he? What happened?" _Tell me_, Arthur inwardly pleaded. Trust me with _something_ at least! _Show me that you have some amount of faith in me, however small._ "Even…" he glanced around the stables, making absolutely sure no one was there, "Even if he was a sorcerer, you can trust me."

Merlin's eyes widened again, and Arthur felt like he had hit remarkably close to the truth. "Arthur…" he started. Arthur held his breath, waiting for more. _Come on, Merlin._ Merlin's face softened. His shoulders slumped, ready to give up all the lies, all the secrecy. Then he clenched his eyes tight for a moment, muscles tightening again, before opening them. He didn't look Arthur in the eye. "It was just a story. It wasn't real."

Arthur's own shoulders slumped in defeat as he reached the inevitable conclusion: Merlin really didn't trust him.

But…maybe he did. A small part of Arthur didn't fully believe Merlin had such little faith in him. Maybe it was something else.

_One day you'll learn who I am, Arthur. But it isn't time yet._

That's what Merlin had said, as Emrys, that night in the woods. Arthur had thought that had simply meant that he, Arthur, wasn't ready yet. He was ready now, he knew it. But…maybe Merlin wasn't.

"All right," he said slowly. He nodded, more to himself than to Merlin, as he came to a decision. "All right…If you say it wasn't real, it wasn't real." Merlin stared at him, obviously unsure if Arthur really believed him or not. "I'm sorry I pushed the subject," Arthur added.

Awkward silence stretched between them, with neither sure just how to proceed. Finally Arthur broke the silence. "I'll see you at noon with my lunch, then," he turned away, leaving Merlin to his chores. But he paused and turned back. "And _Merlin,"_ he drawled, "try not to be late this time. I know that must be difficult for you."

Merlin smiled uneasily, "Yes, Sire." Arthur turned and walked away.

Merlin had spent a long time living with secrets, waiting for the right moment for everything to be revealed. Now it was Arthur's turn.

.~.

Wow, Merlin thought silently. Wow. Just…_what?_

As soon as Arthur left, Merlin let out a shaky breath and leaned against the wall to take some weight off his shaky legs. He reached up and carefully gripped his wounded shoulder. The blood pounding in his veins was making it ache.

He had known something was up with Arthur's strange behavior at breakfast. But honestly, Merlin had forgotten all about mentioning his father to Anye. Arthur obviously hadn't. Something akin to panic stirred in Merlin. What did Arthur know? What did he suspect?

After a time, Merlin stood up and away from the wall. He walked towards the corner where various tools were standing, then began caring for Arthur's horse. He worked slowly and deliberately, careful not to agitate his shoulder any more than necessary. The mind-numbing work of mucking the stall, spreading fresh hey, and brushing the horse slowly helped clear his head.

_It's all right, _Merlin told himself. _He said he believes me, it's ok._

Merlin was not entirely convinced Arthur believed him, but…well, he said he did. And honestly, at this point, even pretend belief was enough for Merlin. Just so long as Arthur stopped asking awkward questions.

The horse flicked his ears and turned his long neck to look at him, silently asking why he'd stopped brushing. Merlin came out of his mini-trance and began stroking him again.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Just thinking, is all."

He'd been so close to telling Arthur the truth. The look on Arthur's face, pleading for the truth, was stuck inside his mind. His stomach clenched in guilt.

He trusted Arthur. He really did. He said he trusted Emrys, no matter who he really was, and Merlin believed him. He knew Arthur would never turn him in. So why was he still so hesitant to tell him the truth? He'd thought about telling Arthur at breakfast, when Arthur had made his declaration of trust. He had really, really wanted to, but…

So many memories came up, so many times when he had wanted to tell Arthur the truth, when he had thought Arthur would understand, and then something else had happened to change everything. Arthur trusted him now, but what about next week? What about next year?

He still wasn't sure Arthur was ready.

And if he was? If Arthur really was ready to know the truth? If Merlin marched right up to him and blurted out the whole of it, what then? Things would change. Even if Arthur still trusted him, even if Arthur didn't turn him in or force him to leave, things would still change. With the revealing of such a big secret…nothing would ever be the same again.

Merlin wasn't sure if _he_ was ready for that.

"Well, that was interesting, wasn't it?"

Merlin jumped and spun around. The horse whinnied his protest of the sudden movement. In front of him was Anye, casually sitting on the stall gate, stroking the barn cat that seemed to have taken a liking to her.

Merlin tensed. He was not particularly keen on the idea of fighting her right now. His magic might not be as week as it was before, but he was far from his best fighting condition.

"You shouldn't be here," he said. "Emrys stopped you before, he can stop you again."

Anye smiled knowingly, seeming not at all concerned. "Is that right?" she asked. "I was under the impression he was otherwise occupied. Doing…stable duty."

His eyes widened as Anye continued to smile at him. "W—what do you mean?" he asked.

"So tell me, do you think the prince suspects you? He was acting rather oddly, if I'm any judge. Though I must admit, I can understand his hesitation. After all, I'd never have guessed that _you_ were a warlock."

Merlin opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. She knew, there was no point pretending anymore. So he might as well use her knowledge to his advantage. "How did you find out?" he asked instead, standing up a little straighter. He dropped the brush to the floor. He'd need both hands free for a fight.

"From the moment I left, I've been watching you. I wanted to see what would happen. I was slightly relieved, actually. I _knew_ that no one could break through that barrier."

"And now you're back. For what? To finish what you started here?"

Anye didn't answer for a moment. Merlin was slightly unnerved with her staring at him, silently contemplating something. "I must admit, I was surprised," she said at last. "I did not expect the young Pendragon to protect you."

"I told you, he's different than his father."

"But you're still not going to tell him who you are. Why?"

"…I don't know."

She nodded, as though that had confirmed something.

"So, Merlin, isn't it? Tell me: what do you plan to do now?"

Merlin stared at her, trying to determine the reason for her interrogation. "What do you want, Anye?" he asked. "If you're here for a fight, then fight me already. Otherwise, leave. You're not welcome here."

She hopped off from her perch on the stall gate. Merlin tensed, his feet shifted slightly farther apart and his knees bent, ready to move. But Anye made no threatening motion. She merely took the few steps forward, then bent to pick up the brush he had dropped. Slowly, she began brushing the horse. "I'm not here for a fight," she answered softly. "And you didn't answer my question."

Merlin was at a loss for words. Unconsciously, his muscles relaxed and he stood up straighter again, still watching her carefully. "I'll do what I've always done," he said at last. "I'll protect Arthur."

Anye nodded. She had really expected nothing else. "You really do trust him, don't you?"

"With my life."

She paused in the stroking motion and looked at him before carefully placing the brush in his hand once more.

"Then I will trust you," she said. "For now, the prince and Camelot are safe from me."

Merlin's eyes widened. Safe?

"Thank you," he said at last.

"Make no mistake, though, I _will_ see magic returned to this land, one way or another. For now, I will wait for you to bring it back through your ways, through Arthur. But if your faith in him proves to be misplaced, then I will be back to finish this _my_ way."

Merlin nodded in understanding. Looking at her, a person of magic who was deliberately placing her trust in him—in _Emrys_—made him feel the burden of his destiny all the more.

She patted the horse once more, then disappeared in a flurry of wind without another word, leaving Merlin behind to accomplish what she could not.

And Merlin couldn't help but wonder, despite the end of the earthquakes, why it felt like the ground was shaking beneath his feet.

_To Be Continued!_

**A/N: I feel like this is the moment I begin cackling in evil amusement at your looks of horror. Teehee! But to answer your question, no! This is not the end! Well, not exactly. This is the end of **_**On Shaky Ground**_** which means…you guessed it, there will be one more sequel! I think this next story will most likely be shorter than OSG, but longer than ASG.**

**Thank you all SO much for your support! I can't believe how many of you have been following this story, and it just puts a giant grin on my face when I think about it! I can't believe it has reached almost 1,000 reviews. I never expected that in a million years. A special shout-out to my koala! You know who you are. :)**

**I've got some planning to do for this sequel before I begin posting. And to be honest, I'm thinking about writing the whole thing before I begin posting it, like I did with ASG. But I haven't made up my mind yet. We'll see what happens.**

**Hope to see you all throughout the next fic! Love you all!**

**~Syd**


	24. AN

**A/N:**

**Hello everyone! Once again, thank you all for being so supportive of these stories! I love the response this series has gotten. :)**

**So I had multiple people ask me to post in this fic when the new story was posted, so….GUESS WHAT? Yup! The first chapter is up! The third installment is entitled _Of Walls and Scars. _So head on over!**

**I hope you like the sequel! Love you all!**

**~Syd**


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